The Genetic Regulation of Phase Change in Maize

该项目的目的是描述玉米从幼体到成体营养生长习惯的“相变”过渡的遗传控制特征。通过对延长幼鱼生长期的突变（Tp1， Tp2和Tp3）的分析，我们将尝试剖析时间基因表达程序的遗传调控。这些突变的功能将通过研究其表达的自主性，以及它们对玉米叶片生长、形态和细胞系的影响来研究。原发性突变的功能衍生物的假定损失的表型和遗传相互作用将被表征为定义其功能的另一种方法。来自这些研究的信息将用于评估涉及以下方面的生长过渡模型：1)重叠的青少年和成人计划；2)顺序的、相互排斥的青少年和成人项目。这项研究有可能推进玉米发育的遗传控制及其可能的进化途径的基础知识。

The objective of this project is to characterize genetic control of the transition, termed "phase change", from juvenile to adult vegetative growth habit in maize. This attempt to dissect genetic regulation of the temporal gene expression program will be accomplished via analysis of mutations (Tp1, Tp2 and Tp3) that prolong the juvenile growth phase. The function of these mutations will be investigated by study of the autonomy of their expression, and their effect on maize leaf growth, morphology and cell lineage. The phenotypes and genetic interactions of putative loss.of.function derivatives of the primary mutations will be characterized as an additional approach to definition of their function. Information from these studies will be used to evaluate growth transition models which involve: 1) overlapping juvenile and adult programs; and 2) sequential, mutually exclusive juvenile and adult programs. This study has the potential to advance fundamental knowledge of the genetic control of maize development, and possible pathways of its evolution.