Role and activity of PRC2 and SWI/SNF in plant adaptability to changing environments

干旱或高温每年都会导致农作物大幅减产。植物可以通过激活不同的调节程序来适应不利的条件。这需要对表观基因组进行改变。提出的研究将阐明当植物感受到干旱或高温胁迫时，表观基因组是如何改变的。所获得的洞察力将使植物生长最优化，并减少压力的有害影响。此外，该提案将培训本科生进行以课程为基础的实验室研究，以进行有助于实现该提案的目标的原创性研究，通过表观基因组改变来提高植物生产力。为了阐明PRC2抑制和SWI/SNF染色质重塑对植物对环境挑战的适应性的贡献，该提案将迅速耗尽任何一个表观遗传调节因子，随后评估对染色质状态和基因表达的即时早期影响，以及对环境挑战的表型反应。这将对SWI/SNF和PRC2在植物适应不断变化的环境中的直接生物学贡献作用产生新的见解。同时，将评估单个染色质调节剂对克服现有染色质状态的贡献。在这样做的过程中，该项目将为植物界产生新的工具，以剖析关键监管者的直接角色和活动。这一提议的更广泛的影响包括洞察植物如何通过表观基因组重新编程来促进对变化环境的适应能力。此外，还将举办三个为期一学期的本科生研究体验(CURE)实验室课程。这些本科生研究人员将定义SWI/SNF或PRC2与转录因子之间的接触域，以阐明使染色质重新编程的接触“表面”的类型。最后，在一年一度的暑期研究会期间，将向高中生讲授这项提议中所进行的研究。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Drought or heat cause dramatic crop losses each year. Plants can adjust to adverse conditions by activating different regulatory programs. This requires changes to the epigenome. The research proposed will elucidate how the epigenome is altered when drought or heat stress is sensed by the plant. Insight gained will enable optimization of plant growth and reduction of the detrimental effects of stress. In addition, the proposal will train undergraduate students in course-based laboratory research to conduct original research that contributes to addressing the goals of this proposal, to enhance plant productivity via epigenome change.To elucidate the contribution of PRC2 repression and SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling to plant adaptability to environmental challenges, this proposal will rapidly deplete either epigenetic regulator, followed by assessing immediate early effects on the chromatin state and gene expression, as well as phenotypic response to environmental challenge. This will generate novel insight into direct biological contribution roles of SWI/SNF and PRC2 to plant adaptability to changing environments. In parallel, the contribution of individual chromatin regulators to overcoming the existing chromatin state will be assessed. In doing so, the project will generate novel tools for the plant community to dissect direct roles and activities of key regulators. The broader impacts of this proposal include insight into how plant resilience to changing environments is facilitated via epigenome reprogramming. In addition, three one-semester course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) laboratory classes will be conducted. The undergraduate researchers will define the contact domains between SWI/SNF or PRC2 and transcription factors to shed light on the types contact ‘surfaces’ that enable chromatin reprogramming. Finally, lectures on research conducted in this proposal will be given to high school students during the yearly summer research academy.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.