水稻H3K27me3标记基因的三维基因组结构解析及其调控抽穗期的机理研究

组蛋白H3K27me3是一类动植物保守的抑制基因表达的表观遗传修饰，标记了水稻约18%的基因，其中包括很多控制水稻重要农艺性状的基因。但是，这些基因参与的基因组三维空间结构及其在互作基因转录调控过程中的功能还不清楚。本项目拟利用我们在植物中建立的高分辨率三维基因组研究方法Long-read ChIA-PET，绘制水稻不同组织中H3K27me3标记基因的高分辨率三维基因组互作图谱，揭示其动态变化规律及其协同调控基因表达的机理。另外，通过四个水稻PRC2复合体编码基因突变体，揭示这些突变体和野生型之间差异的H3K27me3修饰和三维基因组结构，研究PRC2复合体参与调控三维基因组结构的分子机制。进一步拓展对PRC2复合体功能的认识，解析关键基因的远程互作控制水稻抽穗期的分子机制。

Histone H3K27me3 is a type of conservative epigenetic modification repressing gene expression across plants and animals. It marks about 18% of rice genes, including many controlling important agronomic traits. However, the 3D genome organization of these H3K27me3-marked genes and their potential roles in regulating the cooperative expression of interacting genes remain elusive. Here, we applied long-read ChIA-PET method to map high-resolution 3D genome interaction maps involved H3K27me3-marked genes in three rice tissues, and tried to reveal the 3D genome dynamic of these genes and the mechanism of cooperative transcription of anchor genes. Meanwhile, by utilizing four mutants of core PRC2 complex subunits that affect the H3K27me3 modification, we compared the difference of 3D genome structure and epigenetic modification between these mutants and wild type, and studied the function and molecular mechanism of PRC2 complex in 3D genome structure formation. This study will advance the understanding of PRC2 complex function and decipher the mechanism of long-range chromatin interactions connecting key genes in controlling heading date in rice.