The National Science Foundation Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences awarded $300,000 under the Biological Sciences federal grant program (CFDA 47.074) to the University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc. from June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2024. The award will fund research investigating the function of DNA glycosylases in regulating gene expression within maize pollen vegetative cells and sperm cells. Specifically, the project aims to identify genetic regions targeted for demethylation by these enzymes and determine the functional significance of DNA demethylation in pollen development. The research will employ novel methods to study the effects of demethylation on gene expression at the single-cell level in mixed pollen populations. Ultimately, the work seeks to engineer glycosylases to selectively demethylate genetic elements and lay the groundwork for future studies exploring epigenetic control of gene expression in pollen with potential heritability to subsequent generations.
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