水稻Mi-2类染色质变构因子CHR729在表观遗传调控中的作用分析

水稻CHR729是一个Mi-2类染色质变构因子，它的突变会导致一系列的表型变化，影响各个水稻产量构成因素包括有效穗数、每穗粒数、结实率和千粒重，表明它可能参与调控水稻产量相关的基因的表达，因此研究CHR729的表观遗传调控的机理有助于这些产量相关基因的功能分析。我们此前的研究表明水稻CHR729可以通过其PHD结构域在体外结合H3K27me3，本项目一方面分析CHR729全基因组结合位点与全基因组H3K27me3的分布进行比较，并通过在水稻体内缺失PHD结构域或者降低水稻体内H3K27me3水平以后检测其结合染色质的情况来初步探明CHR729是否在体内有结合H3K27me3 的可能性；另一方面研究CHR729与另一个H3K27me3结合蛋白LHP1是否存在功能冗余。通过这方面的研究来初步阐明CHR729在H3K27me3介导的表观遗传调控过程中的作用。

Rice CHR729 is a Mi-2 subfamily chromatin remodeling factor, mutation of which leads to series of phenotypes. These phenotypes affect many constitution elements of rice yield including panicle number per plant, grain number per panicle, filled grain percentage and grain yield. This demonstrates that rice CHR729 might be involved in the regulation of rice yield related genes. Thus studying the mechanism of CHR729 in the epigenetic regulation may help to analyze the function of these genes. Our previous results have shown that rice CHR729 could bind to H3K27me3 via its PHD domain in vitro. In this project to verify if CHR729 could possibly bind to H3K27me3 in vivo the genome-wide binding sites of CHR729 will be investigated and then compared to genome-wide distribution of H3K27me3. We will also test if lack of PHD domain or reduced H3K27me3 levels in rice could have effects on the binding of CHR729 to chromatin. In addition, functional redundancy of CHR729 and LHP1 which is another H3K27me3 binding protein will be analyzed. From these results we could preliminarily clarify the role of CHR729 in the process of H3K27me3-mediated epigenetic regulation.