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Oat CHRomosome Evolution and drivers enabling widespread terminal intergenomic translocations in polyploid species

Project description

Insight into the evolution of polyploidy in oats

Polyploidy in crops is associated with enhanced fitness, often allowing plants to adapt to a wider range of habitats and survive in unstable climates better than their diploid progenitors. Scientists of the EU-funded OCHRE project are interested in discovering the role of intergenomic chromosome translocations in the evolution of polyploid species in oats. The working hypothesis is that translocations between oat genomes are related to transposable element activity as well as changes in DNA methylation and histone modifications. OCHRE will follow a cytogenetics, bioinformatics and epigenetics analysis of the oat genome to unveil the potential mechanisms involved in intergenomic translocations.

Objective

Comparative genetic analysis of grasses, one of the most widely distributed plant families and including the three most important human foods, has demonstrated that different groups differ in the evolutionary presence of intergenomic chromosome translocations in polyploid species, including the important crops. The overall goal of our research group is to define the nature and mechanism of terminal intergenomic translocations in oats (Avena) where these are frequent, allowing us to model their contribution to cereal genome evolution. We hypothesize that terminal translocations between oat genomes are related to transposable element activity, a decrease in DNA methylation, and histone modifications that are differential between the genomes. We propose a focused series of complementary molecular cytogenetic, bioinformatic, and epigenetic studies on oat and wheat genomes to characterize this physical genome rearrangement process. A comprehensive model illustrating the potential mechanisms involved in terminal intergenomic translocations will be elucidated by the simultaneous hybridization with the use of genome-specific probes and retrotransposon sequences, and immunostaining of histones and 5-methylcytosine in mitotic cells. The research will reveal why genomes of oats show frequent intergenomic translocations, playing a significant role in their evolution, in contrast to wheats where the translocations are rare. The fundamental research has implications for breeding oats to exploit biodiversity through introgression from wild species, and perhaps enabling additional introgressions in wheat breeding.

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MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF

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(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2018

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 212 933,76
Address
UNIVERSITY ROAD
LE1 7RH Leicester
United Kingdom

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Region
East Midlands (England) Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire Leicester
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 212 933,76
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