Presidential Young Investigator Award

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This research investigates the regulation of plant gene expression. It focuses on two regulatory genes of maize, c1 and p1, which control the synthesis of anthocyanin pigments in the seed and in the plant, respectively. Genetic and recently obtained molecular data indicate that these genes are functionally duplicate with distinct tissue specificity. Analysis of these two genes afford the opportunity to study two very basic features of plant gene expression: 1) How do regulatory genes coordinately govern the expression of several biosynthetic genes in a given pathway? and 2) What is the basis for tissue-specific expression of functionally duplicate loci?%%% The answers to these questions will not only contribute to the specific aim of understanding the regulation of anthocyanin synthesis, but should also apply to the long-term goal of solving problems of potential agronomic importance. Likewise, the results of experiments to understand specific regulatory interactions between the genes involved in anthocyanin synthesis are likely to provide an excellent basis for eventually unravelling the complex genetic interactions that govern quantitative traits of plants such as the components of yield.