CAREER: An integrated approach to understanding the interplay between telomere biology, flowering time regulation, and plant reproductive fitness

Telomeres are important structures at the ends of chromosomes that protect DNA from degradation and in humans contribute to preventing cancer and premature aging. The length of telomeric DNA in different animals and plants varies substantially, but the significance of this variation for organismal integrity is not fully understood. This study will analyze the importance of having long or short telomeres for plants grown in good or stressful environmental conditions.

Specifically, it will evaluate the number of seeds produced and the timing of flowering initiation as a measure of plant adaptation to stress. The project will also help extend hands-on research options for undergraduate students. It will also provide many opportunities for STEM-themed outreach activities to increase scientific literacy and to advance career preparation for the next generations of biology students.

Telomeres are evolutionarily conserved protein-DNA complexes that cap linear eukaryotic chromosomes and ensure proper genome maintenance and stability. In humans, the length of telomeric DNA is often viewed as one of the most accurate cellular markers of biological age. However, in plants and many other organisms the significance of telomere length changes over organismal lifespan or in response to environmental stressors is largely unclear.

Recent findings in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana demonstrated that natural variation in telomere length influences reproductive fitness and the timing of floral transition. Nevertheless, the exact molecular and genetic mechanisms linking telomere length with plant developmental traits are unknown. Through several transcriptome and candidate gene analysis projects this study will elucidate the functional crosstalk between telomere length regulation and flowering time control.

It will also characterize the effects of telomere length variation on plant fitness and decipher molecular mechanisms acting on extreme telomere length phenotypes. Finally, the project will aid in developing career-shaping research and educational experiences for undergraduate students. Overall, the proposed studies will help discover the intriguing functional roles that telomeres play in mediating life-history trait variation and trade-offs.

This project is jointly funded by the Genetic Mechanisms Program, the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.