Developing a gene interaction network associated with the adaptation of rice

An IRRI Seminar

By Michael Purugganan
Center for Genomics and Systems Biology
New York University (NYU), USA
and NYU-Abu Dhabi

​​​19 November 2015
1:15-2:15 p.m.
Havener Auditorium
IRRI

Abstract:

Rice has evolved to adapt to various environments, including extreme conditions that trigger stress responses. These environmental responses are mediated by Environmentally-responsive Gene Regulatory Interaction Networks (eGRINs) that plants use to translate complex environmental information into coordinated metabolic responses. Here we present an inferred global eGRIN for the response of rice, based on transcriptome and chromatin accessibility data, as well as on knowledge of transcription factor binding motifs. This eGRIN integrates whole transcriptome measurements from five rice cultivars exposed to single-factor perturbation experiments and to agricultural field conditions. The development of such large-scale gene interaction networks, especially those that include field gene expression data, can help provide insights into rice plant responses in the field, understand how plants adapt to different agricultural settings, and possibly cope with environmental stresses associated with climate change.