Analysis of Floral Induction Pathways

茎尖分生组织从营养生长到开花的转变是植物生命周期的主要发育开关。开花的起始时间对繁殖的成功至关重要，许多植物物种进化出多种开花途径，这些途径相互整合以精确调节开花时间。这些途径包括监测植物发育状态的途径，以及感知季节环境信号（如光周期和温度）的途径。我们最近的研究表明，发育和环境（温度）感应途径都集中在开花抑制因子FLC（开花位点C）的调控上。本提案期的主要目标是进一步加深我们对FLC调节电路的理解。了解拟南芥开花途径的进展将为了解其他物种的开花时间调控提供基础。早花是许多作物的一个问题，在这些作物中，植物的叶子或根被收获。在其他作物中，最好加快开花速度。这项工作将确定控制拟南芥开花时间的策略。我们的长期目标是确定这些策略是否可以用来改变开花时间和提高作物品种的生产力。该奖项的资金将用于培养植物遗传学和分子生物学的研究生和本科生。

0133663AmasinoThe transition of shoot apical meristems from vegetative growth to flowering is the major developmental switch in the plant life cycle. The timing of flower initiation is obviously critical for reproductive success, and many plant species have evolved multiple flowering pathways that are integrated to precisely regulate flowering time. These pathways include those that monitor the developmental state of the plant and others that sense environmental cues of season such as photoperiod and temperature. Our recent work has demonstrated that both developmental and environmental (temperature) sensing pathways converge on the regulation of a repressor of flowering, FLC (FLOWERING LOCUS C). The major goal for this proposal period is to further our understanding of the circuitry of FLC regulation. Advances in the understanding of how flowering pathways operate in Arabidopsis will provide a foundation for understanding flowering-time regulation in other species. Premature flowering is a problem in many crops in which the leaves or roots of the plant are harvested. In other crops it is desirable to accelerate flowering. This work will define strategies to manipulate flowering time in Arabidopsis. Our long-term goal is to determine whether these strategies can be used to modify flowering time and increase productivity in crop species. Funding from this award will be used to train graduate and undergraduate students in plant genetics and molecular biology.