NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: Uncovering the regulatory mechanisms for a genetic switch between anthocyanin and carotenoid pigmentation in monkeyflowers

该行动为2021财年的NSF植物基因组博士后生物学研究奖学金提供资金。该研究金支持研究员在东道实验室的研究和培训计划，研究员还提出了扩大生物学参与的计划。劳伦·斯坦利（Lauren Stanley）的研究和培训计划的标题是“揭示猴子花中花青素和类胡萝卜素色素沉着之间遗传开关的调节机制”。该奖学金的主办机构是密歇根州立大学，赞助科学家是大卫劳里博士。植物生物学的一个主要目标是了解调节重要色素产生的遗传机制，包括花青素（红色，紫色或蓝色）和类胡萝卜素（黄色，橙子或红色）。这项工作将使用猴花物种Mimulus whitneyi，它与紫色或黄色的花共存，以确定负责这种颜色差异的调节基因。该研究还将揭示由这种调节剂控制的遗传网络，并评估它是否在多个物种的花色转变进化中重复使用。这种综合方法将促进我们对植物色素的理解，这对光合作用，胁迫耐受性，防御草食动物和病原体以及繁殖至关重要。花青素和类胡萝卜素在人类健康中也起着关键作用，因此了解其调控的遗传机制对于通过基因工程改善作物植物的营养具有直接的应用。这项研究将为研究员提供生物信息学，人口基因组学和表观基因组学方法的培训，以建立一个全面的研究计划。为了扩大这项工作的影响，研究员将通过为服务不足的初中和高中教室开发基于Mimulus的教育模块，为密歇根州弗林特和底特律的学生提供STEM教育。该模块将侧重于花色素沉着，传粉者的视觉和植物健身。本模块生成的材料将在CREATE Open Science网页上公开提供。本研究旨在确定两个关键植物色素途径协调进化的调控机制。具体来说，该项目将集中在遗传基础上的花紫色到黄色（花青素类胡萝卜素）的颜色过渡使用多态monkeyflower物种Mimulus whitneyi。本研究的目的一是寻找并验证一个与紫穗槐花色多态性相关的主调控基因。whitneyi通过产生高质量的参考基因组，进行紫色和黄色变体的全基因组合并测序，并在11个自然种群中进行基因分型。目标2将通过使用RNA-seq、基因网络分析和ATAC-seq表征紫色和黄色变体中的基因网络和调控元件，生成花青素苷和类胡萝卜素生物合成途径的调控和共调控的模型。目的3将照亮的颜色过渡的Mimulus属的进化历史，通过调查的遗传基础，收敛的紫色/黄色花的颜色多态性在自然种群的三个额外的monkeyflower物种。所有测序数据将通过NCBI和Phytozome公开提供，生物信息学管道和自定义脚本可通过GitHub获得。这些标本将被保存在密歇根州立大学植物标本馆，在那里它们将被数字化并记录在iDigBio和Symbiota数据库中。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得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来支持。

This action funds an NSF Plant Genome Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2021. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow who also presents a plan to broaden participation in biology. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to Lauren Stanley is “Uncovering the regulatory mechanisms for a genetic switch between anthocyanin and carotenoid pigmentation in monkeyflowers.” The host institution for the fellowship is Michigan State University and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. David Lowry.A major goal of plant biology is to understand the genetic mechanisms regulating the production of important pigments, including anthocyanins (red, purple, or blue) and carotenoids (yellow, orange, or red). This work will use the monkeyflower species Mimulus whitneyi, which has co-occurring plants with either purple or yellow flowers, to identify the regulatory gene responsible for this color difference. The research will also uncover the genetic network controlled by this regulator and assess whether it has repeated use in the evolution of flower color transitions across multiple species. This integrative approach will advance our understanding of plant pigmentation, which is crucial to photosynthesis, stress tolerance, defense against herbivores and pathogens, and reproduction. Anthocyanins and carotenoids also play a key role in human health, and thus understanding the genetic mechanisms underlying their regulation has a direct application for the nutritional improvement of crop plants via genetic engineering. This research will provide the Fellow with training in bioinformatics, population genomics, and epigenomics methods to build a comprehensive research program. To broaden the impact of this work, the Fellow will contribute to STEM education for students in Flint and Detroit, Michigan through the development of a Mimulus-based education module for underserved middle and high school classrooms. The module will focus on floral pigmentation, pollinator vision, and plant fitness. Materials generated for this module will made publicly available on the CREATE Open Science webpage.This research aims to identify the regulatory mechanisms underlying the coordinated evolution of two key plant pigmentation pathways. Specifically, the project will focus on the genetic basis for a floral purple-to-yellow (anthocyanin-to-carotenoid) color transition using the polymorphic monkeyflower species Mimulus whitneyi. Aim 1 of the research will identify and validate a master regulatory gene underlying the purple/yellow flower color polymorphism in M. whitneyi by generating a high-quality reference genome, performing whole-genome pooled sequencing of purple and yellow morphs, and genotyping across eleven natural populations. Aim 2 will generate a model for the regulation and co-regulation of the anthocyanin and carotenoid biosynthesis pathways by characterizing gene networks and regulatory elements in purple and yellow morphs using RNA-seq, gene network analysis, and ATAC-seq. Aim 3 will illuminate the evolutionary history of color transitions in the Mimulus genus by investigating the genetic basis for convergent purple/yellow flower color polymorphisms in natural populations of three additional monkeyflower species. All sequencing data will be made publicly available through NCBI and Phytozome, with bioinformatics pipelines and custom scripts available through GitHub. Voucher specimens will be deposited at the Michigan State University Herbarium, where they will be digitized and documented in the iDigBio and Symbiota databases.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.