Molecular Genetics of Arabidopsis

提出了一个重大的研究项目，旨在详细了解植物茎尖分生组织如何控制其细胞分裂的模式和数量。提出了两套基因实验，每一套都有自己的目的。第一组包括对突变型和野生型茎尖分生组织（SAMs）的细胞类型和细胞分裂的详细分析，以及控制分生组织行为的基因表达变化引起的SAMs动态变化的时间过程分析。这些基因包括CLAVATA1、CLAVATA3、WUSCHEL和SHOOT MERISTEMLESS。这些实验将导致对分生组织中细胞分裂和细胞分化控制的新的详细视图，并将为详细分析新的突变表型和新的基因功能提供工具包。第二组实验是对新发现的分生组织控制基因（如HANABA TARANU和KANADI4）进行发育遗传学分析，并对迄今未在植物中使用的类型进行诱变筛选，以发现更多的分生组织控制基因。这些实验将填补分生组织控制中一些缺失的角色，并将直接导致分生组织中细胞通信和行为的新假设。总体结果有望对分生组织细胞活性进行新的详细和动态的描述，并在此基础上，通过对控制分生组织行为的基因的遗传分析，对茎尖分生组织的功能有新的认识，从而对植物的生长和发育有新的认识。

0211670MeyerowitzA major research program is proposed, with the goal of understanding in detail how shoot apical meristems of plants control their patterns and numbers of cell divisions. Two sets of genetic experiments are proposed, each with its own aims. The first set includes careful analyses of cell type and cell divisions in mutant and wild type shoot apical meristems (SAMs), and time course analysis of the dynamic changes induced in SAMs by changes in expression of the genes that control meristem behavior. Among these genes are CLAVATA1, CLAVATA3, WUSCHEL, and SHOOT MERISTEMLESS. These experiments should result in a newly detailed view of cell division and cell differentiation control in meristems, and will provide a toolkit for detailed analysis of new mutant phenotypes and new gene functions. The second set of experiments are developmental-genetic analyses of newly discovered meristem control genes such as HANABA TARANU and KANADI4, and mutagenic screens of types not used so far with plants, to find more meristem control genes. These experiments will fill in some of the missing players in meristem control, and will lead directly to new hypotheses of cellular communication and behavior in meristems. The overall result is expected to be a newly detailed and dynamic description of meristem cell activity, and following from this, and from genetic analysis of the genes that control meristem behavior, a new functional understanding of shoot apical meristems, and thus of plant growth and development.