组蛋白甲基化修饰调控植物环境适应性的分子机制研究

染色质结构变化调控真核生物的细胞分裂与分化、生长发育及环境适应等多个重要生命环节，组蛋白甲基化修饰在染色质动态调控中发挥了重要的功能。植物细胞的全能性、植物生长发育的可塑性以及植物对外界环境变化的高度适应性预示了植物具有特异的表观遗传调控机制。申请人实验室围绕染色质结构动态变化调节植物生长发育以及环境适应性的分子机制，对组蛋白赖氨酸甲基化修饰进行了长期研究。最新的研究发现：H3K4me2和H3K36me3在植物基因组中具有特殊的分布模式而且在转录调控中具有新的功能。本项目将围绕 “植物特殊的组蛋白H3K4和H3K36甲基化修饰的分布模式是如何建立的？有什么生物学意义？组蛋白H3K4和H3K36甲基化修饰调节植物环境适应性的分子机制是什么？”等科学问题，综合利用多种实验手段，深入研究植物特异的组蛋白甲基化修饰分布的建立机制、生物学意义以及调节植物环境适应性的分子机制。

Chromatin changes regulate fundamental biological processes such as cell division and differentiation, organism growth and development, and physiological response to environmental cues. Histone lysine methylations play key roles in dynamic changes of chromatin structure. The totipotency of plant cell and the high plasticity of plant development indicate that specific epigenetic regulation mechanisms exit in plants. For many years, the applicant’s lab focuses on studying the biological functions of histone lysine methylations in plants and on investigating the molecular mechanisms about how the dynamic changes of chromatin regulate plant development and environmental plasticity. Our recent data indicate that the distribution patterns of H3K4me2 and H3K36me3 in plants are different from those in yeast and animals, and play novel functions in transcription regulation. Within this project, we will try to answer the basic questions of how the specific distribution patterns of H3K4me2 and H3K36me3 in plants are set up, what are the biological significances for the specific distributions, and what are the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of H3K4/H3K36 methylations in environmental plasticity. We will study the mechanisms underlying the establishment, function and effect on plasticity of histone lysine methylations in plants, by using combined biological technologies.