Arabidopsis 2010: Collaborative Research: Functional and Evolutionary Genomics of Drought Adaptation Networks

干旱胁迫普遍存在，在植物生长发育和生理进化中起着重要的选择作用。这也是全球农作物产量的一个主要限制因素。这个2010年的项目将使用全基因组分子技术来研究模式植物拟南芥（Arabidopsis thaliana）适应水分供应差异的数量遗传学。该项目的一个主要目标是绘制和鉴定基因组区域，并描述适应极端水可用性栖息地的植物在逃避、避免和耐受干旱中起作用的基因和基因网络。此外，还将为拟南芥的数量遗传学研究开发新的资源，包括一个作图群体和一系列捕获控制与干旱适应有关的植物生理关键成分的基因的遗传系。该项目建立在基因组数据和拟南芥研究社区开发的工具的基础上，并将功能基因的分子变异与进化过程联系起来。这项研究的最终目标是确定为什么，以及如何，拟南芥基因组进化出功能变异，这些变异对适应不同水供应的栖息地很重要。拟议的工作对2010年总体项目目标的重要性是双重的。首先，大多数具有生态和农业意义的性状是定量的，受许多基因和环境的影响。不幸的是，人们对定量遗传变异背后的分子遗传细节知之甚少。了解数量变异的遗传学是完整阐明拟南芥所有基因功能的必要条件。此外，该项目的结果将补充正在进行的关于增强植物抗逆性的组成和诱导性状的遗传特征的研究。对自然进化变异的研究是了解植物逆境反应的分子遗传基础的一个很大程度上尚未开发的途径。其次，通过该项目开发的遗传作图资源、遗传系和改进的分析方法将为未来拟南芥的定量遗传研究提供便利。拟议研究的更广泛影响包括对学生和博士后学者在分子遗传学、进化生物学、生理学和生物信息学方面的综合培训——下一代成功的基因组科学家所必需的技能。所有植物材料和相关基因型数据将通过拟南芥信息资源基础设施（http://www.arabidopsis.org）提供。该项目的具体进展和细节将于2004年10月在项目网站（http://orthos.bio.umassd.edu:8080/Arabidopsis/drought）上公布。

Drought stress is ubiquitous and has played an important selective role in the evolution of plant growth, development, and physiology. It is also a major limiting factor to crop productivity worldwide. This 2010 project will use genome-wide molecular techniques to study the quantitative genetics of adaptation to differences in water availability in the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana. A major goal of the project is to map and identify genomic regions and characterize genes and gene networks that function in escape, avoidance, and tolerance of drought among plants adapted to habitats spanning extremes of water availability. In addition, new resources will be developed for the study of quantitative genetics in Arabidopsis, including a mapping population and a series of genetic lines capturing genes controlling key components of plant physiology related to drought adaptation. This project builds on the infrastructure of genomic data and tools developed by the Arabidopsis research community, and will link molecular variation of functional genes to evolutionary processes. The ultimate goal of this research is to determine why, as well as how, the Arabidopsis thaliana genome has evolved functional variation in traits important for adaptation to habitats differing in water availability.The significance of the proposed work in relation to the overall 2010 project objectives is twofold. First, most traits of ecological and agricultural significance are quantitative and influenced by many genes as well as by the environment. Unfortunately, little is known about the molecular genetic details underlying quantitative genetic variation. Understanding the genetics of quantitative variation will be necessary for a complete elucidation of the function of all Arabidopsis thaliana genes. In addition, results of this project will complement ongoing efforts to characterize the genetics of constitutive and inducible traits that enhance stress tolerance in plants. The study of naturally evolved variation is a largely unexplored avenue for understanding the molecular genetic basis of plant stress responses. Secondly, genetic mapping resources, genetic lines, and improved analytical methods developed through the project will facilitate future quantitative genetic studies of Arabidopsis thaliana. The broader impact of the proposed research includes integrated training for students and postdoctoral scholars in molecular genetics, evolutionary biology, physiology, and bioinformatics - skills necessary for the next generation of successful genomic scientists. All plant materials and associated genotypic data will be made available using The Arabidopsis Information Resource infrastructure (http://www.arabidopsis.org . Progress and details of particular aspects of the project will be available at the project website (http://orthos.bio.umassd.edu:8080/Arabidopsis/drought), available in October 2004.