Epigenetics of transgenerational response to stress

跨代应激反应的表观遗传学

• 批准号: RGPIN-2016-06555
• 负责人: Kovalchuk, Igor
• 金额: $ 9.54万
• 依托单位: University of Lethbridge
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=744775
• 关键词: Epigenetics; transgenerational; response; stress

Plantsas sedentary organisms are not able to escape stress. Our previous research hasshown that the progeny of plants exposed to stress exhibit changes in physiologyand demonstrate a certain degree of stress tolerance and cross-tolerance.Although the mechanisms for the establishment and maintenance oftransgenerational responses are not clear, our previous work suggests a substantialinvolvement of epigenetic mechanisms such as changes in DNA methylation anddifferential expression of non-coding RNAs. Therefore, the aim of thisproject is to understand the role of epigenetic factors in transgenerationalresponses to stress and to decipher genetic and epigenetic changes that occurin plants after a multigenerational exposure to stress. Our experimental model willconsist of 25 consecutive generations of wild-type and mutant Arabidopsis thaliana plants propagated inthe presence of one of the stresses: heat, cold, salt or UVC. Mutant plantsinclude those mutated in various steps/mechanisms of recognition and DNA damagerepair and those mutated in various epigenetic regulatory mechanisms. Wehypothesize that after exposure of 25 generations of plants to stress, theprogeny will exhibit a certain degree of tolerance and cross-tolerance. We willuse various molecular, biochemical, biophysical and imaging techniques toidentify changes in plant physiology under normal conditions and in response tostress. Using next generation sequencing and molecular profiling techniquessupported by detailed bioinformatics analysis, we will identify changes in DNAsequence, DNA methylation and the expression of non-coding RNAs associated witha specific stress exposure and stress tolerance. This work is critical for the understandingof the mechanisms of stress adaptation. We believe that this knowledge can beapplied to identify specific QTLs and epiQTLs associated with stress toleranceand can be used to produce stress tolerant crops. The project will be verybeneficial to students and post docs, allowing them to obtain training inseveral disciplines, including plant stress physiology, imaging techniques, genetics,genomics, epigenomics, bioinformatics, and others.

植物作为静坐生物无法逃避压力。我们前期的研究表明，遭受胁迫的植物后代会出现生理变化，表现出一定程度的胁迫耐受性和交叉耐受性。虽然跨代反应的建立和维持机制尚不清楚，但我们前期的工作表明，表观遗传机制如DNA甲基化的变化和非编码RNA的差异表达等有实质性参与。因此，该项目的目的是了解表观遗传因素在跨代应激反应中的作用，并破译植物在多代暴露于应激后发生的遗传和表观遗传变化。我们的实验模型将由连续 25 代野生型和突变拟南芥植物组成，这些植物在热、冷、盐或 UVC 胁迫之一的存在下繁殖。突变植物包括在识别和DNA损伤修复的各个步骤/机制中突变的植物以及在各种表观遗传调控机制中突变的植物。我们假设，在25代植物暴露于胁迫后，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来识别正常条件下和应激反应下植物生理学的变化。使用由详细生物信息学分析支持的下一代测序和分子分析技术，我们将识别与特定应激暴露和应激耐受相关的 DNA 序列、DNA 甲基化和非编码 RNA 表达的变化。这项工作对于理解压力适应机制至关重要。我们相信，这一知识可用于鉴定与胁迫耐受性相关的特定QTL和epiQTL，并可用于生产胁迫耐受作物。该项目对学生和博士后非常有益，使他们能够获得多个学科的培训，包括植物逆境生理学、成像技术、遗传学、基因组学、表观基因组学、生物信息学等。