Speaker: Sarah Anderson, assistant professor in the IDepartment of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology

Title: “Uncovering the contributions of transposable elements to maize diversity”

Abstract: Transposable elements (TEs) are genetic elements that are unique in their ability to move and replicate in genomes. TEs comprise the majority of large crop genomes and are a source of noncoding genetic variation within and among species. There are several well-characterized examples of TE polymorphisms creating phenotypic changes in maize, though the extent to which TEs contribute to expression variation on a genome-wide scale is unknown. A survey of TE variability across four assembled maize genomes reveals substantial TE variability, with over half of all maize genes near a TE that is variable among genotypes. While the majority of TEs in the genome are epigenetically silenced and unlikely to contribute to phenotypic variation among genotypes, we find evidence that a subset of TEs are transcribed, accessible, and associated with expression variation of nearby genes. TE transcript profiles are particularly distinct in the nutritive endosperm of the maize seed, where epigenetic changes lead to maternal de-repression of many TEs. By studying how genotypic differences and chromatin dynamics influence expression, we can better understand how TEs contribute to gene expression and phenotypic variation in maize. 

Meeting Link: https://iastate.webex.com/iastate/j.php?MTID=m552722056e5078dee22caa75af9541f1