U.S.-Korea Cooperative Research on Heterokaryosis and Nu- clear-plastid Interactions in Red Algae

该提案要求获得资金，以允许加州大学圣克鲁斯分校皇冠学院生物学副教授Lynda J.Goff博士与首尔国立大学植物学副教授In Kyu Lee博士进行为期24个月的研究计划，该计划使用红藻模型系统Griffithsia来生产异核体，以研究两个主要问题。第一项研究将检验异核体融合产物中两种不同基因类型的相对核数的变化对表型的影响。第二个将决定遗传上不同的质体是否可以共存于共同的异核体中。异核现象是指遗传上不同的细胞核在同一细胞质中共存和共表达。它发生在不同的真菌群中，要么是两个遗传上不同的核融合，然后一个核从一个细胞迁移到另一个细胞，要么是一个或多个核在多核细胞的细胞质内自发突变。该项目是一项开创性的研究，对理解红藻的遗传学具有重要意义。目前，人们对红藻有相当大的兴趣，因为它们作为琼脂、琼脂和卡拉胶等复杂碳水化合物的来源具有经济潜力。此外，将进行的格里菲斯属种间和种内杂交将提供有关该属整个太平洋地理范围内发生的物种形成的极其有用的信息。两位合作者都是备受尊敬的科学家，他们在该提案领域拥有丰富的研究经验和富有成效的出版记录。该项目与美韩合作科学计划的目标相关，该计划旨在通过交流科学信息、想法、技能和技术以及通过在互利问题上的合作来提高美国和韩国科学家和工程师之间的合作水平。

This proposal requests funds to permit Dr. Lynda J. Goff, Associate Professor of Biology, Crown College, University of California, Santa Cruz, to pursue with Dr. In Kyu Lee, Associate Professor of Botany, Seoul National University, for a period of 24 months, a program of research using the red algal model system Griffithsia to produce heterokaryons to investigate two major problems. The first investigation will examine the phenotypic effect of varying relative nuclear numbers of two different genotypes in the products of heterokaryon fusion. The second will determine if genetically different plastids can coexist in a common heterokaryon. Heterokaryosis is defined as the coexistence and coexpression of genetically different nuclei in a common cytoplasm. It occurs in various fungal groups either upon the fusion of two genetically different nuclei and the subsequent migration of a nucleus from one cell to another, or by the spontaneous mutation of one or more nuclei within the cytoplasm of a multinucleate cell. This project is pioneering research which should have great significance to an understanding of the genetics of red algae. At present there is considerable interest in red algae because of their economic potential as sources of complex carbohydrates such as agar, agarose, and carrageenan. In addition, the inter- and intraspecific crosses of Griffithsia that will be undertaken should provide extremely useful information on the speciation that has occurred within this genus, throughout its Pacific geographic range. Both collaborators are highly respected scientists who have extensive research experience and productive publication records in the field of the proposal. This project is relevant to the objectives of the U.S.-Korea Cooperative Science Program which seeks to increase the level of cooperation between U.S. and Korean scientists and engineers through the exchange of scientific information, ideas, skills, and techniques and through collaboration on problems of mutual benefit.