植物对高山环境的适应机制是生物学家一直感兴趣的问题。本项目拟采用东非高山和亚洲高山沿海拔梯度分布的7个巨大半边莲 (giant lobelias) 物种，从三个方面探索其适应高山环境的分子机制。(1) 基因表达与调控：通过低温处理及RNA-seq，分析高山物种应对低温的重要基因与调控网络；(2) 适应性进化：从RNA-seq数据中筛选出直系同源基因，分析各基因所受自然选择，发掘在适应高山坏境中发挥重要作用的基因；(3) 基因组：通过genomic survey获得每个物种的重复DNA序列含量、类型，探讨重复DNA序列在适应高山环境中的作用。本项目有助于理解植物适应高山环境的分子机制，保护开发高山植物，发掘植物耐寒、耐低氧胁迫基因。

Plant adaptation to alpine environment has long intrigued biologists. In this proposal, we plan to explore the adaptation using 7 species of giant lobelias from East Africa and Asia. This investigation will be carried out with three works. (1) Gene expression and regulation: exploring the expressed genes and metabolic pathways of alpine species under low temperature treatment; (2) Adaptive evolution: exploring the positively selected genes of alpine species by estimating the selective pressure of orthologous genes; (3) Genome: exploring the function of repetitive DNA on adaption to alpine environment by comparing the content and types of the DNA among different species. We hope that this study will contribute to understand plant adaptation to alpine environment, protect alpine plants and explore genetic resources for improving cold or anoxia tolerance of plants.