Genetic and Molecular Analysis of Floral Induction

Weigel 9723823 互补的分子和遗传方法将被用来确定和表征新的组成部分，在拟南芥成花诱导。成花诱导是植物向开花的过渡过程，其调控过程涉及至少三条主要途径：长日照依赖途径、赤霉素依赖途径和自主途径。特别是一个假定的GA响应元件的prometer的LEAFY基因，在拟南芥花启动的关键组成部分将被确定和表征;新的信号转导因子的GA依赖的成花诱导途径将被确定;新的基因影响成花诱导将寻求通过获得功能的屏幕和至少两个在该屏幕中确定的基因将被表征。一个基因已经被发现，并被鉴定为LEAFY基因的已知调节因子的同源物，该基因将被详细分析。 花卉对人类生计的重要性怎么强调都不为过。它们是植物繁殖的器官，它们的直接产品是水果和种子，包括谷物，提供了人类消耗的大部分卡路里。因此，了解植物如何调节花的形成可能具有长期的实际应用。

Weigel 9723823 Complementary molecular and genetic approaches will be used to identify and characterize new components in floral induction in Arabidopsis. Floral induction is the transition to flowering which is controlled by a poorly understood process involving at least three major pathways: a long-day dependent pathway, a gibberellin (GA)-dependent pathway and an autonomous pathway. Specifically a putative GA-response element in the prometer of the LEAFY gene, a critical component of flower initiation in Arabidopsis will be identified and characterized; new signal transduction factors in the GA-dependent floral induction pathway will be identified; new genes affecting floral induction will be sought through a gain-of-function screen and at least two of the genes identified in that screen will be characterized. One gene has already been found and characterized as a homolog of a known regulator of the LEAFY gene and that gene will be analyzed in detail. The importance of flowers for human sustenance cannot be overstated. They are organs of plant reproduction and their immediate products are fruits and seeds, including cereal grains, which provide the majority of calories consumed by humans. Thus, an understanding of how plants regulate the formation of flowers is likely to have long-ranging practical applications.