Epigenetics of transgenerational response to stress

植物*作为久坐不动的有机体，无法逃脱压力。我们以前的研究表明，暴露在胁迫下的植物的后代表现出生理上的变化，并表现出一定程度的胁迫耐受性和交叉耐受性。尽管建立和维持跨代反应的机制尚不清楚，但我们之前的工作表明，表观遗传机制涉及到大量的表观遗传机制，如DNA甲基化的变化和非编码RNA的差异表达。因此，这个项目的目的是了解表观遗传因素在跨代应激反应中的作用，并破译植物在经历了多代逆境后发生的遗传和表观遗传变化。我们的实验模型将由连续25代野生型和突变型拟南芥植株组成，这些植株在一种逆境下繁殖：热、冷、盐或UVC。突变植物*包括在识别和DNA损伤修复的不同步骤/机制中突变的植物，以及在各种表观遗传调控机制中突变的植物。我们假设，在25代植物暴露于逆境后，后代将表现出一定程度的耐受性和交叉耐受性。我们将使用各种分子、生化、生物物理和成像技术来识别在正常条件下和在胁迫下的植物生理变化。使用下一代测序和分子图谱技术*，在详细的生物信息学分析的支持下，我们将识别DNA*序列、DNA甲基化和与*特定应激暴露和应激耐受性相关的非编码RNA的表达变化。这项工作对于理解压力适应机制至关重要。我们相信，这些知识可以用来确定与逆境耐受性相关的特定QTL和表观QTL，并可用于培育耐逆境作物。该项目将对学生和博士后非常有益，使他们能够获得*几个学科的培训，包括植物逆境生理学、成像技术、遗传学、基因组学、表观基因组学、生物信息学等。

Plants*as sedentary organisms are not able to escape stress. Our previous research has*shown that the progeny of plants exposed to stress exhibit changes in physiology*and demonstrate a certain degree of stress tolerance and cross-tolerance.*Although the mechanisms for the establishment and maintenance of*transgenerational responses are not clear, our previous work suggests a substantial*involvement of epigenetic mechanisms such as changes in DNA methylation and*differential expression of non-coding RNAs. Therefore, the aim of this*project is to understand the role of epigenetic factors in transgenerational*responses to stress and to decipher genetic and epigenetic changes that occur*in plants after a multigenerational exposure to stress. ***Our experimental model will*consist of 25 consecutive generations of wild-type and mutant Arabidopsis thaliana plants propagated in*the presence of one of the stresses: heat, cold, salt or UVC. Mutant plants*include those mutated in various steps/mechanisms of recognition and DNA damage*repair and those mutated in various epigenetic regulatory mechanisms. We*hypothesize that after exposure of 25 generations of plants to stress, the*progeny will exhibit a certain degree of tolerance and cross-tolerance. We will*use various molecular, biochemical, biophysical and imaging techniques to*identify changes in plant physiology under normal conditions and in response to*stress. Using next generation sequencing and molecular profiling techniques*supported by detailed bioinformatics analysis, we will identify changes in DNA*sequence, DNA methylation and the expression of non-coding RNAs associated with*a specific stress exposure and stress tolerance. This work is critical for the understanding*of the mechanisms of stress adaptation. We believe that this knowledge can be*applied to identify specific QTLs and epiQTLs associated with stress tolerance*and can be used to produce stress tolerant crops. The project will be very*beneficial to students and post docs, allowing them to obtain training in*several disciplines, including plant stress physiology, imaging techniques, genetics,*genomics, epigenomics, bioinformatics, and others.***