表观遗传学是构筑完整的遗传学架构的必要内容,是现代遗传学教学的重点和难点之一。为了使学生更好地掌握这方面知识,本文以科学研究中发现的一个具有表观遗传特性的水稻突变体(epigenetic short panicle, esp)为实验材料,设计了一个表观遗传学综合性实验。水稻esp突变体植株变矮、穗长缩短、穗型直立且着粒密度增加。突变机理研究表明,DNA甲基化修饰变异引起ESP过量表达是产生突变表型的原因。该实验以突变体表型观测作为切入点,将科学研究与课程教学、课程实验与开放实验深度融合,向学生展现了一个典型表观遗传学研究课题的完整脉络和前沿技术。通过该实验,学生能对表观遗传学有一个更为直观的认识,可深入理解表型与基因型、表观遗传修饰与基因表达之间的关系,有助于培养学生的科学思维和创新能力。

Epigenetics is the necessary content to constitute a complete genetic framework, and has become one of the focuses and difficulties of modern genetics education. Here we design a comprehensive experiment for epigenetics by utilizing a rice epigenetic short panicle (esp) mutant identified previously in our research project. The esp mutants show a shortened and compressed panicle phenotype, which is associated with hypomethylation in the transcriptional termination region of ESP gene, causing ESP overexpression in the esp mutants. This experiment uses mutant phenotypic observation as a starting point, integrates scientific research and course teaching, course experiment and open experiment, and demonstrates to students the full picture of a typical epigenetic science research and leading technology. The comprehensive experiment will deepen students’ understanding of the relationship between phenotypes and genotypes, epigenetic modification and gene expression, and help them master the effective way of thinking for scientific research to further improve their ability of innovative abilities.