NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: The evolution and characterization of C4 and C3-C4 phenotypes

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。本奖学金的研究和培训计划的标题由理查德·S·Abrahams是“C4和C3-C4表型的进化和表征”。该研究金的主办机构是耶鲁大学和普渡大学，赞助科学家是Erika Edwards博士和Jennifer Wisecaver博士。像Gynandropsis gynandra这样的物种被认为是潜在的超级食物，因为它们的C4光合作用能力可以更有效地捕获大气中的碳，并将其转化为生长所需的糖。虽然关系密切，但芥菜科（菊科）的植物并没有进化出这种有效的光合作用形式，尽管它们出现在这种性状有利的地区。这项研究将利用植物基因组数据集来探索植物在被子植物目中获得这种有用性状的进化限制。通过阐明防止C4或中间表型的潜在机制，关键作物物种的育种工作可能会开发C4品种并提高全球粮食产量。这项研究的更广泛的影响倡议侧重于光合作用作为一个共同的K-12主题和代表性在课堂上的影响。该计划旨在通过真实的故事讲述和有效的科学传播，激发代表性不足的群体对STEM职业的兴趣。C4光合作用有超过66个已知的独立进化，由于复杂的表型，许多实例尚未被科学表征。虽然紫茎泽兰目在炎热和干旱的环境中已经多样化，但C4进化的主要背景是，在该目中只有三个C4的起源是已知的，在Cleomaceae中，和一个C3-C4中间体在紫茎泽兰科中的起源。这种缺乏性状趋同可能是由于某些代谢进化的限制。该项目将开发一种生物信息学工具，用于从转录组数据中识别候选物种中潜在的C3-C4中间体，以在进化背景下表征这些限制。然后，该工具将被用于评估整个订单的候选物种，以确定C4或C3-C4性状的新起源。最后，设计用于检测专门代谢模块的共表达网络方法将适用于解决围绕C4和C3-C4机制进化的基本问题。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。

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 Richard S. Abrahams is "The evolution and characterization of C4 and C3-C4 phenotypes". The host institutions for the fellowship are Yale University and Purdue University and the sponsoring scientists are Dr. Erika Edwards and Dr. Jennifer Wisecaver.The order Brassicales contains several crop species important to global human nutrition. Species like Gynandropsis gynandra are considered potential superfoods because of their C4 photosynthetic ability to more efficiently capture carbon in the atmosphere and convert that to sugars for growth. While being closely related, plants of the mustard family (Brassicaceae) have not evolved this efficient form of photosynthesis despite occurring in areas where such a trait is advantageous. This research will leverage plant genomic datasets to explore plants' evolutionary limitations in the Brassicales for acquiring this useful trait. By elucidating the underlying mechanisms that prevent C4 or intermediate phenotypes, breeding efforts for key crop species may develop C4 varieties and improve global food production. This research's broader impacts initiative focuses on photosynthesis as a common K-12 subject and the impact of representation in the classroom. This initiative is designed to inspire an interest in STEM careers for underrepresented groups through authentic storytelling and effective science communication.With over 66 known independent evolutions of C4 photosynthesis, many instances have yet to be characterized by science due to complex phenotyping. Although the Brassicales has diversified within hot and arid environments, prime context for the evolution C4, only three origins of C4 are known in the order, in the family Cleomaceae, and one origin of C3-C4 intermediates in the Brassicaceae. This lack of trait convergence may be due to certain metabolic evolutionary constraints. This project will develop a bioinformatic tool for identifying potential C3-C4 intermediacy in candidate species from transcriptome data to characterize these constraints in an evolutionary context. This tool will then be used to assess candidate species across the order Brassicales to identify novel origins of C4 or C3-C4 traits. Finally, coexpression network methods designed to detect specialized metabolic modules will be adapted to address fundamental questions around the evolution of C4 and C3-C4 mechanisms. The programs developed to run these analyses, and all genomic data generated from this research will be freely available for the broader scientific community.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.