转座酶SWIM结构域靶向植物基因转录起始位点的分子机制

Mutator家族转座子是植物中非常活跃的转座子，该转座子靶向植物基因组中的开放染色质区，特异整合在基因的5’末端，但是其如何精准感知宿主基因组中的基因转录仍然是一个空白。前期研究提示，SWIM蛋白结构域可能参与了Mutator转座酶对宿主转录起始位点的靶向过程。本研究拟以Mutator转座酶的SWIM蛋白结构域为研究对象，围绕基因转录起始位点的靶向机制解析这一主题，利用分子生物学、生物化学、遗传学等手段，筛选SWIM结构域相互作用的关键转录起始相关蛋白，解析蛋白相互作用详细机理，揭示SWIM结构域在转座酶精准靶向过程中的功能，拓展人们对转座子基因组整合策略的认识。

The Mutator transposable elements (TEs) are among the most mutagenic transposons known in plants. Mutator preferably integrates in open chromatin regions and actively targets the 5′ regions of host genes, but how it accurately senses gene transcription in the host genome is poorly understood. Previous studies suggest that the SWIM domain of the Mutator transposase is involved in the precision targeting to the host transcription start sites (TSSs). This application proposes to study the TSS-tethering mechanism of the SWIM domains present in the Mutator transposase. Using molecular, biochemical and genetic approaches, we aim to isolate key SWIM-interacting factors (SIFs) involved in transcription initiation, investigate the detail mechanisms of such interactions and uncover the function of SWIM domain in precision targeting of transposases. The studies proposed in this application would provide insights on genome-wide TE integration strategies.