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

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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.