Perinuclear Positioning of Active Genes in Arabidopsis

拟南芥中活性基因的核周定位

• 批准号: 2141560
• 负责人: Meng Chen
• 金额: $ 100.43万
• 依托单位: University of California-Riverside
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-02-01 至 2025-01-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2141560&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Perinuclear; Positioning; Active; Genes; Arabidopsis

The cell nucleus provides a subcellular compartment to harbor the genetic information, the DNA, and more importantly, to enable precise regulation of individual genes in response to developmental and environmental stimuli. Accumulating evidence from studies in yeast and animals indicates that the nucleus controls gene activity by spatially segregating active and inactive genes into distinct subnuclear domains. In particular, the nuclear envelope is divided into two domains, the nuclear pores and the non-pore region, for hosting active and inactive genes, respectively. However, plants contain significantly different nuclear-envelope components from those in yeast and animals; as a result, if and how perinuclear gene positioning contributes to gene activity in plants remains unknown. The proposed experiments aim to unveil the significance and mechanism of perinuclear gene positioning in gene activation in plants and establish a live-cell imaging technology for visualizing individual genes. The outcome of this project is expected to generate novel insights into both plant-specific and general principles of spatial genome organization and gene regulation in eukaryotes and establish an enabling technology to facilitate studies on the spatial organization of individual genes in plants. Further, the project will train the next generation of scientists, including underrepresented minority students, in critical thinking, experimental design and execution, and scientific communications.This collaborative project aims to use Arabidopsis thaliana as a model to understand the significance and mechanism of perinuclear gene positioning in gene activation in plants. The PI pioneered the discovery of the nuclear-periphery localization of light-inducible genes upon activation. Stemming from the previous studies, the PIs will employ cell biology and genetics approaches to determine the function of the nuclear envelope in the developmental and environmental control of gene activation and to elucidate the mechanism of gene recruitment to the nuclear periphery in plants. Also, the PIs plan to establish a CRISPR-based imaging technology for labeling single-copy genes in living plant cells. Together, this integrated approach is expected to provide insights into the function of the plant nuclear envelope in gene regulation and establish a genetically tractable experimental model for studying gene positioning in the plant kingdom. The research team will disseminate the scientific findings and the new empowering technology through publication and conference presentations to promote research on gene positioning in plants. This award was co-funded by the Genetic Mechanisms and Cellular Dynamics and Function clusters of the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences.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.

细胞核提供了一个亚细胞区室来容纳遗传信息，DNA，更重要的是，能够精确调节个体基因以响应发育和环境刺激。在酵母和动物研究中积累的证据表明，细胞核通过将活性和非活性基因空间分离到不同的亚核结构域来控制基因活性。特别是，核膜分为两个领域，核孔和非孔区，分别为主机的活性和非活性基因。然而，植物含有与酵母和动物显着不同的核被膜成分;因此，核周基因定位是否以及如何有助于植物中的基因活性仍然未知。该实验旨在揭示核周基因定位在植物基因激活中的意义和机制，并建立一种活细胞成像技术，用于可视化单个基因。该项目的成果有望为真核生物空间基因组组织和基因调控的植物特异性和一般性原理提供新的见解，并建立一种使能技术，以促进植物个体基因空间组织的研究。此外，该项目还将培养包括少数民族学生在内的下一代科学家的批判性思维、实验设计和执行以及科学交流能力。该合作项目旨在以拟南芥为模型，了解核周基因定位在植物基因激活中的意义和机制。PI率先发现了光诱导基因激活后的核周边定位。基于以往的研究，研究人员将利用细胞生物学和遗传学方法来确定核膜在基因激活的发育和环境控制中的功能，并阐明基因募集到植物核周边的机制。此外，PI计划建立一种基于CRISPR的成像技术，用于标记活植物细胞中的单拷贝基因。总之，这种综合的方法，预计将提供深入了解植物核膜的基因调控的功能，并建立一个遗传上易于处理的实验模型，研究基因定位在植物王国。研究小组将透过出版物及会议介绍，传播科学成果及新的赋能技术，以推动植物基因定位的研究。该奖项由分子和细胞生物科学部的遗传机制和细胞动力学与功能组共同资助。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。