EAPSI:Identifying Gene Networks that Control Root Hair Growth in Arabidopsis Thaliana

根毛是植物根部的外生物，负责从土壤中吸收水分和养分。对植物来说，控制根毛的数量和大小以平衡养分吸收和能量消耗是很重要的。如果植物没有足够的根毛，或者它们的根毛太小，它们就不能吸收足够的营养来帮助它们生存。相反，长太多的植物毛会导致植物消耗更多的能量。了解控制根毛生长和发育的基因可以帮助科学家设计出能够在营养缺乏的土壤中生存的植物。本项目将研究模式植物拟南芥（Arabidopsis thaliana）根毛生长发育的遗传和分子机制。这项研究将与RIKEN可持续资源科学中心的Keiko Sugimoto博士合作进行，她在研究根毛发育方面有着丰富的经验。两个转录因子GT2-LIKE 1 （GTL1）及其同源物DF1已被发现调节拟南芥的根毛生长，但其直接靶点和途径尚不清楚。GTL1和DF1的预测基因调控网络（grn）将从突变株和错表达株获得的基因表达数据中构建。这些grn将使用动态贝叶斯网络和回归树等数学方法构建。然后，grn将用于预测GTL1和DF1参与根毛发育的靶标。GTL1和DF1的潜在靶点将使用可用的染色质免疫沉淀（ChIP）数据以及功能分析进行验证。了解GTL和DF1的通路将有助于深入了解控制根毛生长发育的分子机制。NSF EAPSI奖是与日本科学促进会合作资助的。

Root hairs are outgrowths on plant roots that are responsible for absorbing water and nutrients from the soil. It is important for plants to control both the number and size of their root hairs so that they balance nutrient uptake and energy cost. If plants do not have enough root hairs, or their root hairs are too small, they cannot absorb enough nutrients to help them survive. Conversely, growing too many plant hairs causes the plant to expend more energy. Understanding the genes that control root hair growth and development can help scientists engineer plants that are able to survive in nutrient-deficient soils. This project will investigate the genetic and molecular mechanisms that control root hair growth and development in the model plant system Arabidopsis thaliana. This research will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Keiko Sugimoto at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, who has extensive experience studying root hair development.Two transcription factors, GT2-LIKE 1 (GTL1) and its close homolog DF1, have been found to regulate root hair growth in A. thaliana: however, their direct targets and pathways remain unknown. Predictive Gene Regulatory Networks (GRNs) of GTL1 and DF1 will be constructed from gene expression data obtained from mutant and misexpression lines. These GRNs will be constructed using mathematical methods such as dynamic Bayesian networks and regression trees. The GRNs will then be used to predict targets of GTL1 and DF1 that are involved in root hair development. Potential targets of GTL1 and DF1 will be validated using available Chromatin ImmunoPrecipitation (ChIP) data as well as functional analysis. Understanding the pathways of GTL and DF1 will provide insight into the molecular mechanisms controlling root hair growth and development. This NSF EAPSI award is funded in collaboration with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.