NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: Elucidating the mechanism by which Taf14 links metabolic flux to gene transcription

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2021, Integrative Research Investigating the Rules of Life Governing Interactions Between Genomes, Environment and Phenotypes. The fellowship supports research and training of the Fellow that will contribute to the area of Rules of Life in innovative ways. Every living organism must respond appropriately to the environment around them. This is a fundamental rule in biology whether you are a yeast or complex organism such as a human. An inappropriate response to environmental conditions can be fatal, thus, the regulation of these responses is critical. Regulation is controlled at the genetic level turning the right genes 'ON' or 'OFF' as needed. One key environmental factor that organisms must continually respond to is nutrient availability. The Fellow will seek to understand the delicate relationship between nutrient availability and the 'ON' and 'OFF' genes that specify cellular growth. In addition to the scientific advancements gained during this award, the Fellow has a long track record of participating in community outreach events, especially youth-centered events, and will continue with outreach events to diverse audiences throughout the tenure of this award.

Using budding yeast as a model organism, this research will address a fundamental question in biology: how nutrient availability in the environment is translated into changes in gene expression that signal whether cells should continue to grow and divide. Specifically, this research will look at epigenetic markers in the form of histone modifications across the genome. It has been shown that byproducts of differential metabolism are deposited on histones, which are then bound by histone readers that subsequently influence gene transcription. The histone reader, Taf14, has recently been connected to regulation of pro-growth genes. However, the exact mechanism through which this occurs is masked by Taf14's association with six different gene regulatory complexes. This research will genetically engineer strains of yeast to selectively disrupt Taf14's interaction with each complex so that individual contributions can be evaluated. The research will advance scientific knowledge by demonstrating how the different byproducts of metabolism direct downstream gene regulation. It will provide valuable training and insights into how epigenetic modifications are translated into gene expression or repression, thus influencing cell proliferation. Under this award, the Fellow will also actively engage in the many mentoring, teaching, and outreach programs available at the University of North Carolina, especially those directly involved with the North Carolina public school system.

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.