RESEARCH-PGR: Multiple origins of tuber formation: Evolution of a unique storage organ

和大多数动物一样，植物是有性繁殖的，然后通过果实和种子传播。然而，许多植物物种也可以通过改良的地下储存器官进行无性繁殖，比如土豆、洋葱和水仙花。这些地下器官在冬季和/或长时间的环境压力下提供了一种生存手段，也是一种绕过有性繁殖的手段。一种储存器官是块茎器官。块茎作物在世界范围内提供大量的热量和营养，是发展中国家粮食安全的一个特别重要的组成部分，马铃薯和山药就是一个例子。在开花植物的历史上，块茎生产的特性经历了多次进化。根据对马铃薯的研究，形成块茎的信号与参与开花的基因有关，包括感知白昼长度的基因和控制所有生物体24小时日常节律的基因，这表明块茎的起源是一种古老的性状。该项目将采用最先进的基因组生物学技术，为块茎发育和进化机制提供新的见解，并帮助培养下一代科学家的计算方法。此外，该项目将通过与公众的教育活动展示块茎作物在粮食安全方面的重要性。了解新的复杂性状的起源和进化是生物学的一个基本目标。块茎是由茎衍生的地下贮藏器官，在世界范围内提供大量的热量和营养，是发展中国家粮食安全的一个特别重要的组成部分，例如马铃薯、山药、oca、kaffir马铃薯、ulluco和mashua。在被子植物的进化历史中，块茎的性状在大约1.3亿年的进化过程中经历了多次进化。尽管长期以来一直是假设，但直到最近十年才有研究表明，许多新特征是由预先存在的基因和调控网络编码的。该项目将采用综合比较基因组学方法，其中多个物种对已经进化出产生替代生殖结构（即块茎）的能力，将能够识别块茎生产所需的“核心”基因、相互作用途径集和编码过程。将使用功能基因组学方法和实验数据来验证块茎发育模型。该项目将培养学生在计算植物生物学和数据科学方面的知识，以解决科学劳动力的缺口。此外，该项目将通过参与密歇根州立大学国家移民学者实习计划来指导科学研究中代表性不足的群体，并通过与密歇根州立大学4-H儿童？年代的花园。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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。

As with the majority of animals, plants reproduce sexually and are subsequently dispersed through fruits and seeds. However, numerous plant species are also able to reproduce asexually via modified below-ground storage organs as seen in potatoes, onions, and daffodils. These below-ground organs provide a means for survival during the winter and/or prolonged periods of environmental stress as well as a means to bypass sexual reproduction. One type of storage organ is that of a tuber. Tuber crops provide significant calories and nutrition worldwide and are an especially important component of food security in developing countries as exemplified by potatoes and yams. The trait of tuber production has evolved multiple times throughout the history of flowering plants. Based on studies in potato, the signals to make tubers are related to genes involved in flowering including genes that sense daylength and genes that control the 24-hour daily rhythm of all organisms, suggesting that the origin of tubers is an ancient trait. This project will employ state-of-the art technologies in genome biology to provide new insights into the mechanisms of tuber development and evolution and help to train the next generation of scientists in computational methods. In addition, the project will demonstrate the importance of tuber crops in food security through educational activities with the public.Understanding the origin and evolution of novel complex traits is a fundamental goal in biology. Tubers, below-ground storage organs derived from stems, provide significant calories and nutrition worldwide and are an especially important component of food security in developing countries as exemplified by potato, yam, oca, kaffir potato, ulluco and mashua. The trait of tuber production has evolved multiple times throughout the history of angiosperms across taxa separated by ~130 million years of evolution. Although it has long been hypothesized, only within the last decade have studies demonstrated that many novel traits are encoded by pre-existing genes and regulatory networks. This project will employ an integrated comparative genomics approach in which multiple species-pairs that have evolved the ability to produce alternative reproductive structures (i.e., tuber) will enable identification of "core" genes, sets of interacting pathways, and encoded processes necessary for tuber production. Models for tuberization will be validated using functional genomics approaches and experimental data used to refine models of tuber development. This project will train students in computational plant biology and data science to address gaps in the scientific workforce. In addition, this project will mentor under-represented groups in science research through participation in the Michigan State University National Migrant Scholars Internship Initiative and engage the lay public in the importance of tuber crops in food security through activities with the Michigan State University 4-H Children?s Garden.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.