Epigenetics of transgenerational response to stress

植物作为久坐不动的生物是无法逃避压力的。我们之前的研究表明，植物在逆境中的后代表现出生理上的变化，并表现出一定程度的逆境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（如DNA甲基化的变化和非编码rna的差异表达）的实质性参与。因此，本项目的目的是了解表观遗传因素在跨代胁迫反应中的作用，并破译植物在多代暴露于胁迫后发生的遗传和表观遗传变化。我们的实验模型将由野生型和突变型拟南芥连续25代组成，这些拟南芥在热、冷、盐或紫外线胁迫下繁殖。突变植物包括在识别和DNA损伤修复的各种步骤/机制中发生突变的植物和在各种表观遗传调控机制中发生突变的植物。我们假设25代植物暴露于逆境后，其后代会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正常条件下和逆境下植物生理的变化。利用详细的生物信息学分析支持的下一代测序和分子分析技术，我们将确定与特定应激暴露和应激耐受性相关的DNA序列、DNA甲基化和非编码rna表达的变化。这项工作对于理解应激适应机制至关重要。我们相信，这些知识可以应用于鉴定与抗逆性相关的特定qtl和epiqtl，并可用于生产抗逆性作物。该项目将对学生和博士后非常有益，使他们能够获得多个学科的培训，包括植物胁迫生理学、成像技术、遗传学、基因组学、表观基因组学、生物信息学等。

Plantsas sedentary organisms are not able to escape stress. Our previous research hasshown that the progeny of plants exposed to stress exhibit changes in physiologyand demonstrate a certain degree of stress tolerance and cross-tolerance.Although the mechanisms for the establishment and maintenance oftransgenerational responses are not clear, our previous work suggests a substantialinvolvement of epigenetic mechanisms such as changes in DNA methylation anddifferential expression of non-coding RNAs. Therefore, the aim of thisproject is to understand the role of epigenetic factors in transgenerationalresponses to stress and to decipher genetic and epigenetic changes that occurin plants after a multigenerational exposure to stress. Our experimental model willconsist of 25 consecutive generations of wild-type and mutant Arabidopsis thaliana plants propagated inthe presence of one of the stresses: heat, cold, salt or UVC. Mutant plantsinclude those mutated in various steps/mechanisms of recognition and DNA damagerepair and those mutated in various epigenetic regulatory mechanisms. Wehypothesize that after exposure of 25 generations of plants to stress, theprogeny will exhibit a certain degree of tolerance and cross-tolerance. We willuse various molecular, biochemical, biophysical and imaging techniques toidentify changes in plant physiology under normal conditions and in response tostress. Using next generation sequencing and molecular profiling techniquessupported by detailed bioinformatics analysis, we will identify changes in DNAsequence, DNA methylation and the expression of non-coding RNAs associated witha specific stress exposure and stress tolerance. This work is critical for the understandingof the mechanisms of stress adaptation. We believe that this knowledge can beapplied to identify specific QTLs and epiQTLs associated with stress toleranceand can be used to produce stress tolerant crops. The project will be verybeneficial to students and post docs, allowing them to obtain training inseveral disciplines, including plant stress physiology, imaging techniques, genetics,genomics, epigenomics, bioinformatics, and others.