Mechanism of UVB-induced DNA methylation suppression and inheritance in plants

UVB诱导植物DNA甲基化抑制及遗传机制

• 批准号: 2043544
• 负责人: Xuehua Zhong
• 金额: $ 85.5万
• 依托单位: University of Wisconsin-Madison
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-02-01 至 2022-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2043544&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Mechanism; UVB; induced; DNA; methylation

It is urgent to develop crops that survive and maintain high yields under dynamic climate conditions. The goal of this project is to understand how plants sense the ever-changing environment and reprogram their chromatin landscapes to achieve adaptability and robustness, with a specific focus on exposure to high levels of ultraviolet radiation. The focus is on epigenetic modifications, the chemical information layered onto the genome that switches genes ‘on’ or ‘off’ and which has emerging roles in plant responses to diverse environmental stresses. This study could ultimately enable the development of innovative chromatin-based technology for biomass production and agricultural improvement. In addition, this project will have a broad educational impact by providing multi-disciplinary research training opportunities for students and scientists from diverse backgrounds including those from underrepresented groups such as women and minorities. Another impact will be the development of learning modules to disseminate epigenetic research to the public, including tabletop science stations for K-12 students and a summer science-camp for rural Wisconsin high school students and science teachers. Cytosine DNA methylation is emerging as a molecular interpreter in sensing and translating extracellular signals to guide diverse cellular and physiological functions. Despite the numerous studies describing altered DNA methylomes in response to environmental stress, little is known about how distinct DNA methylation patterns are generated, maintained, and removed over time during stress. This project will enhance understanding of how plants respond to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation by reprogramming the DNA methylation landscape, using Arabidopsis thaliana as a powerful model. Specifically, this project will investigate how UVB and its photoreceptor interact to alter locus- and tissue-specific DNA methylation and also UVB-induced stress priming and epigenetic memory. Findings from this project will provide mechanistic insights into how signaling cascades intertwine with chromatin dynamics to guide cellular and organismal functions. Given the importance of DNA methylation and signaling cascades in diverse biological processes, understanding how chromatin senses and transduces environmental stimuli is a fundamental question relevant to both plants and animals. This award was co-funded by the Genetic Mechanisms Cluster in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences and the Plant Genome Research Program in the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

迫切需要开发在动态气候条件下存活并保持高产的作物。该项目的目标是了解植物如何感知不断变化的环境，并重新编程其染色质景观，以实现适应性和鲁棒性，特别关注暴露于高水平的紫外线辐射。重点是表观遗传修饰，化学信息分层到基因组上，开关基因“开”或“关”，并在植物对不同环境压力的反应中发挥新的作用。这项研究最终可以开发基于染色质的创新技术，用于生物质生产和农业改良。此外，该项目将产生广泛的教育影响，为来自不同背景的学生和科学家提供多学科研究培训机会，包括来自妇女和少数民族等代表性不足的群体的学生和科学家。另一个影响将是开发学习模块，向公众传播表观遗传学研究，包括为K-12学生建立桌面科学站，为威斯康星州农村高中生和科学教师举办夏令营。胞嘧啶DNA甲基化作为一种分子解释器在感知和翻译细胞外信号，以指导不同的细胞和生理功能。尽管有许多研究描述了DNA甲基化组在环境压力下的变化，但人们对DNA甲基化模式在压力下如何随着时间的推移而产生、维持和去除知之甚少。该项目将以拟南芥为模型，通过重新编程DNA甲基化景观，增强对植物如何应对紫外线B（UVB）辐射的理解。具体来说，这个项目将研究UVB和它的光感受器如何相互作用，以改变基因座和组织特异性DNA甲基化，以及UVB诱导的应激启动和表观遗传记忆。该项目的发现将提供有关信号级联如何与染色质动力学相互作用以指导细胞和生物功能的机制见解。鉴于DNA甲基化和信号级联在不同生物过程中的重要性，了解染色质如何感知和转导环境刺激是与植物和动物相关的基本问题。该奖项由分子和细胞生物科学部的遗传机制小组和综合有机体系统部的植物基因组研究计划共同资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。