EAGER: Identification of epigenome changes induced by elevated ambient temperatures and CO2 concentrations in Arabidopsis thaliana using sequencing method.

Suny At Stony Brook, Stony Brook NY

Investigators

Abstract

Adaptation to the environment is fundamentally important to plants since, unlike animals, they cannot move. Such adaptation often is accompanied by changes in plant phenotypes (appearance) and gene expression, some of which can be controlled by epigenetic mechanisms involving changes in chromatin (DNA or histones) or small RNAs. This research will identify epigenetic changes induced in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana in response to high ambient temperatures and carbon-dioxide concentrations that lie within the ranges that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes predicts will occur at the end of this century. This work particularly may identify so-called "global-warming" genes responsible for high temperature and CO2 induced variations in plant phenotypes. High throughput deep sequencing, in combination with bioinformatic analysis, will be used to identify epigenetic changes in cytosine methylation, histone modifications, non-coding small RNAs expression, and mRNA expression. This study will demonstrate the value of this approach for investigating how Arabidopsis adapts to other biotic- and abiotic- environmental factors, such as viruses, fungi, bacteria, drought, cold, and salt concentrations. Further, it might well guide similar studies in crops and biofuel-plants, such as soybean, poplar, and switchgrass. Broader Impacts. The research will contribute to broadening the education and training of postdoctoral researchers, graduate and undergraduate students by introducing students to the latest concepts and methodologies in epigenetics, genomics, and molecular biology. Furthermore, it will offer them a unique platform for understanding the fundamental impact that global warming might have on plants, and how the genome and environment interact to allow plants to adapt. Presentations about this research will be made to the lay public via the Summer Sundays at Brookhaven National Laboratory Program for scientific outreach.