Epigenetics of transgenerational response to stress

植物 因为久坐的生物体无法逃避压力。我们之前的研究 表明暴露于压力下的植物后代表现出生理变化， 并表现出一定程度的胁迫耐受性和交叉耐受性。 虽然建立和维持 跨代反应尚不清楚，我们以前的工作表明， 表观遗传机制的参与，如DNA甲基化的变化， 非编码RNA的差异表达。因此，这一目的 该项目旨在了解表观遗传因素在跨代遗传中的作用。 对压力的反应，并破译发生在这些反应中的遗传和表观遗传变化， 在经历了多代的压力之后。 我们的实验模型将 由25个连续世代的野生型和突变体拟南芥植物组成， 其中一种压力的存在：热，冷，盐或UVC。突变体植物 包括在识别和DNA损伤各种步骤/机制中突变的那些 修复和那些在各种表观遗传调控机制突变。我们 假设在25代植物暴露于压力后， 后代将表现出一定程度的耐受性和交叉耐受性。我们将 使用各种分子、生物化学、生物物理和成像技术， 确定正常条件下植物生理学的变化， 应力使用新一代测序和分子分析技术 在详细的生物信息学分析的支持下，我们将识别DNA的变化， 序列，DNA甲基化和与之相关的非编码RNA的表达 特定的压力暴露和压力耐受性。这项工作对于理解 压力适应的机制。我们相信这些知识可以 用于鉴定与胁迫耐受性相关的特异QTL和epiQTL 并可用于生产抗逆作物。该项目将非常 有利于学生和博士后，让他们获得培训， 几个学科，包括植物胁迫生理学，成像技术，遗传学， 基因组学、表观基因组学、生物信息学等。

Plants as sedentary organisms are not able to escape stress. Our previous research has shown that the progeny of plants exposed to stress exhibit changes in physiology and demonstrate a certain degree of stress tolerance and cross-tolerance. Although the mechanisms for the establishment and maintenance of transgenerational responses are not clear, our previous work suggests a substantial involvement of epigenetic mechanisms such as changes in DNA methylation and differential expression of non-coding RNAs. Therefore, the aim of this project is to understand the role of epigenetic factors in transgenerational responses to stress and to decipher genetic and epigenetic changes that occur in plants after a multigenerational exposure to stress. Our experimental model will consist of 25 consecutive generations of wild-type and mutant Arabidopsis thaliana plants propagated in the presence of one of the stresses: heat, cold, salt or UVC. Mutant plants include those mutated in various steps/mechanisms of recognition and DNA damage repair and those mutated in various epigenetic regulatory mechanisms. We hypothesize that after exposure of 25 generations of plants to stress, the progeny will exhibit a certain degree of tolerance and cross-tolerance. We will use various molecular, biochemical, biophysical and imaging techniques to identify changes in plant physiology under normal conditions and in response to stress. Using next generation sequencing and molecular profiling techniques supported by detailed bioinformatics analysis, we will identify changes in DNA sequence, DNA methylation and the expression of non-coding RNAs associated with a specific stress exposure and stress tolerance. This work is critical for the understanding of the mechanisms of stress adaptation. We believe that this knowledge can be applied to identify specific QTLs and epiQTLs associated with stress tolerance and can be used to produce stress tolerant crops. The project will be very beneficial to students and post docs, allowing them to obtain training in several disciplines, including plant stress physiology, imaging techniques, genetics, genomics, epigenomics, bioinformatics, and others.