Transcriptome Analyses of Standing Genetic Variation and Phenotypic Plasticity in Conifer Trees

植物和树木在短期内（数十年至数百年）对加速气候变暖和其他环境变化的适应性取决于其固有的表型可塑性和现有种群中的长期遗传变异。最近的研究表明，复杂表型的遗传变异的比例通过基因表达发挥其作用;因此，发现转录本丰度变化的遗传基础是理解表型变异的核心。我的发现研究计划旨在提高我们对针叶树转录组的理解，因为它涉及复杂性状的多样性和遗传结构。该提案建立在我的团队最近的成就之上，包括在针叶树中开发大规模RNA分析能力，发现基因表达中广泛的遗传变异，发现控制代谢的转录网络和抗虫基因。本提案中提出的短期目标利用转录组分析在针叶树的遗传多样性和适应性重要表型之间架起桥梁，旨在：

Adaptability of plants and trees to accelerated climate warming and other environmental changes over the short term (decades to centuries) depends on their inherent phenotypic plasticity and standing genetic variation within existing populations. Recent studies show that a proportion of the genetic variants underlying complex phenotypes exert their effects through gene expression; so, discovering the genetic basis for the variation in transcript abundance is central to understanding phenotypic variation. My discovery research program aims to enhance our understanding of the conifer transcriptome as it relates to diversity and genetic architecture of complex traits. The proposal builds on my group's recent achievements including the development of large-scale RNA profiling capacity in conifer trees, discovery of extensive heritable variation in gene expression, discovery of transcriptional networks controlling metabolism, and an insect resistance gene. The short-term objectives presented in this proposal leverage transcriptome analyses to bridge between genetic diversity and phenotypes of adaptive significance in conifer trees, and aim to: