Dissertation Research: Teosinte Branched 1 and the Evolution of Andropogoneae

9801450 Doebley这项研究将考察包括玉米和草原草等常见植物在内的牧草部落仙人掌的惊人多样性。这一组提供了材料，以阐明导致可变形式进化的分子和遗传变化。有很好的证据表明，该部落起源于大约6000万年前，从那时起，部落成员出现了分歧，因此该属显示出令人眼花缭乱的花卉和植物特征。假设相同基因的变化是相关但不同性状进化的基础，这一假设将使用teosinte分支1基因进行检验。在玉米中，tb1参与植物和花序结构的茎分枝和花性方面的控制。利用选择的不同属器官的原位杂交，我们将开始确定tb1的表达模式是否与观察到的整个部落的特征多样化模式相关。如果这种相关性存在，我们将有证据表明，单个基因可能对特定形态特征的进化做出贡献。

9801450 Doebley The phenomenal diversity of the grass tribe Andropogoneae, which contains such common plants as corn and prairie grass, will be examined in this study. This group provides material to elucidate the molecular and genetic changes that has led to the evolution of variable forms. There is good evidence that the tribe originated about 60 million years ago, and since that time members have diverged so that genera display a dazzling array of both floral and vegetative characteristics. The hypothesis that changes in the same gene underlie the evolution of related but diverse traits will be tested using the gene teosinte branched1. In maize tb1 is involved in the control of stem branching and floral-gender aspects of plant and inflorescence architecture. Utilizing in situ hybridization of selected organs of different genera, we will begin to determine if tb1 expression patterns correlate with the observed pattern of trait diversification across the tribe. If such a correlation exists, we will have evidence that a single gene can potentially contribute to the evolution of a specific morphological feature.