NBS-LRR基因是植物中最为重要的一类抗病基因，之前被分为TIR-NBS-LRR和CC-NBS-LRR两类。近期研究发现了一类新的NBS-LRR基因——RPW8-NBS-LRR基因。这类基因的功能与之前已知功能的NBS-LRR类基因不同，并不参与病原识别，而是在抗病基因的信号传导中发挥作用。对于这类发挥特殊功能的RPW8-NBS-LRR基因的研究较少，尤其对其起源时间、演化规律及功能化机制知之甚少。针对这些问题，本项目拟结合生物信息学和分子生物学办法，调查RPW8-NBS-LRR基因在陆地植物各关键类群中的存在情况，推测该类基因的起源时间；分析不同植物类群中该类基因的演化特征；并通过实验研究该类基因的功能化机制。本项目不仅能加深我们对RPW8-NBS-LRR基因的起源、演化和功能化机制的认识，还将揭示参与抗病不同过程的NBS-LRR的演化和功能化的异同，促进对植物免疫系统演化的认识。

NBS-LRR gene is the largest and the most important class of known plant disease resistance genes, which have been classified into two major subclasses, TIR-NBS-LRR and CC-NBS-LRR, in previous studies. However, a new subclass NBS-LRR gene termed RPW8-NBS-LRR was found in recent studies. In contrast to most previously identified NBS-LRR genes that encode proteins to sensor the infection of pathogen, the product of RPW8-NBS-LRR gene is participated in the signal transduction. So far, there were very few studies on the newly identified RPW8-NBS-LRR subclass genes. The origin, evolution and functionalization of this type gene are poorly understood. Here, we propose a research plan to study the origin of this special NBS-LRR subclass by using both bioinformatics and molecular experimental approaches, reconstruct its evolutionary history, investigate its evolutionary patterns and mutational mechanisms and finally explore the functionalization mechanism during its evolution. We believe that this plan will profoundly increase our knowledge towards the origin, evolution and functionalization of RPW8-NBS-LRR gene, provide fundamental information for comparing the evolution difference among different NBS-LRR subclasses, and facilitate the further understanding of plant immunity system evolution.