ROA:  Somatic Mutation and Rapid Genomic Change in Plants
{'Code': '08010207', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'DEB', 'LongName': 'Division Of Environmental Biology'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Gregory J. McCants', 'PO_EMAI': None, 'PO_PHON': None}
The work proposed here will study the effects of somatic                variation on the population biology and evolution of plants by                  examining somatic changes of nuclear DNA.  Two aspects of genomic               change will be studied: 1) the occurrence of rapid genomic                      changes in response to environmental variation, and 2) the                      accumulation of somatic mutation.  Plants have been chosen as                   model systems because they are particularly amenable to the study               of somatic change.  Plants can attain great ages, thus mutations                accumulate over time.  In addition, plants appear to have                       flexible genomes which respond to environmental pressures.  The                 proposed studies will measure the accumulation of somatic                       mutations in long-lived individuals of Pinus longaeva, the                      Bristlecone Pine, and in ancient clones of Solidago altissima, a                species of undisturbed prairies.  Somatic changes in ribosomal                  DNA and in the alcohol dehydrogenase gene will be determined                    using standard DNA technologies.  These studies will determine                  the rate of somatic change over time and the influence of somatic               mutation on genetic variation within populations.  The                          experimental induction of rapid genomic change in response to                   variable environments will be studied in both Solidago and                      Taraxacum, an asexually reproducing species.  The work proposed                 here examines fundamental genetic processes which have potential                importance for the genetics and evolution of plant species.                     Moreover, somatic variation occurs in all organisms and has been                implicated in the process of ageing and in the generation of                    tumoricity.  The work proposed here will provide detailed                       knowledge of the rate and accumulation of somatic variation and                 thus will provide information which is of potential use in the                  study of age dependent genetic changes in humans.
{'FirstName': 'Barbara', 'LastName': 'Schaal', 'PI_MID_INIT': 'A', 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'Barbara A Schaal', 'EmailAddress': 'schaal@biology.wustl.edu', 'NSF_ID': '000300955', 'StartDate': '01/01/1988', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}
{'Name': 'Washington University', 'CityName': 'SAINT LOUIS', 'ZipCode': '63110', 'PhoneNumber': '3147474134', 'StreetAddress': 'ONE BROOKINGS DR', 'StreetAddress2': None, 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'Missouri', 'StateCode': 'MO', 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': '01', 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_ORG': 'MO01', 'ORG_UEI_NUM': 'L6NFUM28LQM5', 'ORG_LGL_BUS_NAME': 'WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, THE', 'ORG_PRNT_UEI_NUM': None}
{'Name': None, 'CityName': None, 'StateCode': None, 'ZipCode': None, 'StreetAddress': None, 'CountryCode': None, 'CountryName': None, 'StateName': None, 'CountryFlag': None, 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': None, 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_PERF': '""'}
{'Code': '1127', 'Text': 'Evolutionary Processes'}
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1987&All=true', 'xml': '8714397.xml'}