Genetic and Histological Dissection of Phenotypic Variation in Quantitative Resistance to Maize Diseases

PI: Randall J. Wisser（特拉华大学-纽瓦克分校）合作PI: Kirk Czymmek（特拉华大学-纽瓦克分校），Rebecca J. Nelson（康奈尔大学），Gary Payne（北卡罗莱纳州立大学），Nick Lauter （USDA-ARS/爱荷华州立大学）和Alicia carriqury（爱荷华州立大学）其他高级人员/教职员工：Peter J. Balint-Kurti和James B. Holland (USDA-ARS/North Carolina State University)：了解植物防御反应中表型变异的原因是植物生物学家面临的最重要挑战之一。众所周知，基因起着重要作用。然而，这种遗传变异通常以定量的方式表达，这使得确定基因和揭示潜在防御机制变得困难。植物研究的最新进展大大增加了对植物防御的遗传结构（即遗传密码如何产生表型变异的信息）的了解。然而，为了使这些知识可行，必须在其他生物学水平（如细胞和分子水平）上对遗传观察进行机械理解。在本项目中，玉米定量防御的综合分析将完善对其遗传结构的理解，并确定与抗病表型变异有关的基因。此外，大规模的遗传资源和现代化的计算工具将用于将遗传结构与负责宿主防御的机制联系起来。该项目旨在更全面地了解植物防御的生物学基础，以便为疾病控制设想新的长期解决方案。这个项目的广泛影响是多方面的。首先，该项目将有助于制定可持续的作物保护方法。该项目对了解植物与病原体相互作用变化的机制的贡献将为抗性种质的设计提供信息。这对于减少美国玉米的产量和质量损失很重要，但对于保护发展中国家小农的粮食安全更为关键，因为在这些国家，玉米病害造成的损失比例更大。其次，通过与北卡罗来纳自然科学博物馆的合作，项目的见解将以一种有效和娱乐的方式被提炼并传达给一个庞大而多样化的公民群体。这种伙伴关系将提高科学教师在植物科学方面的能力；加强七年级学生对植物基因组学和生物学的教育，让他们在最先进的实验室里亲身体验；并向公众提供一系列讲座，以提高科学素养。该博物馆是北卡罗来纳参加人数最多的博物馆，每年有超过65万名不同年龄、教育和社会经济背景的游客。第三，科学能力建设将是参与该项目的四个机构开展的研究的一个组成部分。本科生，包括那些在科学领域代表性不足的群体，将接触到实地和实验室研究，并由项目负责人和博士后学者指导。研究生和博士后学者将通过专门研讨会和联合调查实验室访问获得补充培训。实验室之间的交流将使这些研究人员获得新的技能，并加强他们在协作和综合研究方面的发展。一个专门的项目网站将作为项目的公众意识展示，并作为门户访问项目产生的可用数据和资源，以及有关将数据存入资源适当的公共存储库（如GenBank、GEO、MaizeGDB和Panzea）的信息，从中可以访问项目数据。

PI: Randall J. Wisser (University of Delaware - Newark)Co-PIs: Kirk Czymmek (University of Delaware - Newark), Rebecca J. Nelson (Cornell University), Gary Payne (North Carolina State University), Nick Lauter (USDA-ARS/Iowa State University) and Alicia Carriquiry (Iowa State University)Other Senior Personnel/Faculty Associates: Peter J. Balint-Kurti and James B. Holland (USDA-ARS/North Carolina State University) Understanding the causes of phenotypic variation in the plant defense response is one of the most important challenges faced by plant biologists. It is known that genetics plays a major role. However, this genetic variation is typically expressed on a quantitative scale that has made it difficult to pin down the genes and unravel the mechanisms underlying defense. Recent advances in plant research have substantially increased knowledge of the genetic architecture (i.e., information about how the genetic code produces phenotypic variation) of plant defense. However, in order to make this knowledge actionable, genetic observations must be mechanistically understood at other biological levels such as the cellular and molecular levels. In this project, a comprehensive analysis of maize quantitative defense will refine the understanding of its genetic architecture and identify genes involved in phenotypic variation for disease resistance. Furthermore, large-scale genetic resources and modernized computational tools will be used to link genetic architecture to mechanisms responsible for host defense. This project aims to achieve a more holistic understanding of the biological basis of plant defense so that novel long-term solutions for disease control can be envisaged.The broader impacts of this project are several-fold. First, the project will contribute to the development of sustainable approaches to crop protection. The project's contributions to understanding the mechanisms that underlie variation in plant-pathogen interactions will inform the design of resistant germplasm. This is important in reducing losses of yield and quality for US maize, but is even more critical for protecting the food security of smallholder farmers in developing countries, where losses due to maize diseases are proportionally greater. Second, project insights will be distilled and conveyed to a large and diverse group of citizens in an effective and entertaining way through partnership with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. This partnership will improve science teacher competency in plant sciences; strengthen education about plant genomics and biology for seventh grade students by giving them hands-on experiences in state-of-the-art labs; and to offer a lecture series to the general public to increase science literacy. The museum is the highest attended in NC with over 650,000 annual visitors of varied ages, educational and socio- economic backgrounds. Third, scientific capacity building will be an integral part of the research conducted across the four institutions involved in this project. Undergraduates, including those from underrepresented groups in science, will be exposed to both field and laboratory studies and mentored by project leaders and post-doctoral scholars. Graduate and post-doctoral scholars will receive supplemental training through specialized workshops and co-investigating laboratory visits. Exchanges between laboratories will allow these researchers to acquire new skills and strengthen their development in collaborative and integrative research. A dedicated project website will act as a public awareness showcase for the project and access as a portal to available data and resources generated by the project along with information about the deposition of data into resource-appropriate public repositories (such as GenBank, GEO, MaizeGDB, and Panzea) from which project data can be accessed.