RUI: Genetic and Molecular Analysis of Photoperiod Flowering in Arabidopsis

光、温等环境因子在调节植物生长发育和生理方面起着重要作用，对农业生产有重大影响。这一建议涉及通过日长或光周期来调节开花时间的分子和遗传基础，重点是模式植物拟南芥。尽管最近的进展大大加深了对开花光周期调控的理解，但显然这一信号转导途径的一些关键组成部分仍然未知。开花早期3基因的突变为生物时钟与复杂的发育过程(如花启动和光调节)之间的相互作用提供了独特的途径。影响光周期开花的新基因将通过使用遗传筛选分离elf3突变表型的修饰物来识别和分析。恢复光周期敏感性的功能强降低的elf3-1等位基因的修饰物(PSE突变体)很可能识别光周期途径中ELF3下游功能的蛋白质。已经确定了一些在ELF3功能缺失的情况下恢复光周期敏感性的突变。在此修饰基因筛选中确定的新基因座将使用基于PCR的分子标记进行定位，并将对至少两个修饰基因座进行定位或候选基因克隆。此外，该项目旨在了解开花的光周期调控、光形态建成和昼夜节律之间的联系。对PSE elf3-1双突变体的表型分析将检验这三个过程在遗传上是分开的假设。影响光周期开花时间的新基因的发现将增加已知的影响向生殖生长过渡的基因座，并可能被操纵以提高农业产量。该项目的一个组成部分是对本科生的培训和指导。他们参与这项研究计划将促进实验室技能和智力的发展，这将丰富他们的生活，使他们能够为科学的进一步进步做出贡献。

0215504HicksEnvironmental factors such as light and temperature play a major role in regulating plant development and physiology, and have a significant impact on agricultural production. This proposal concerns the molecular and genetic basis for the regulation of flowering time by daylength, or photoperiod, focusing on the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Although recent progress has significantly increased the understanding of photoperiodic regulation of flowering, it is apparent that a number of key components of this signal transduction pathway are still unknown.Mutations at the EARLY FLOWERING 3 locus offer a unique inroad to the interactions between biological clocks and complex developmental processes such as floral initiation and light regulation. New genes that influence photoperiodic flowering will be identified and analyzed by isolating modifiers of the elf3 mutant phenotype using a genetic screen. Modifiers of the strong reduced function elf3-1 allele that restore photoperiod sensitivity (pse mutants) are likely to identify proteins that function downstream of ELF3 in the photoperiodic pathway. A number of mutations that restore photoperiod sensitivity in the absence of ELF3 function have already been identified. New loci identified in this modifier screen will be mapped using PCR-based molecular markers, and positional or candidate gene cloning will be undertaken for at least two modifier loci. In addition, this project aims to understand the links between photoperiodic regulation of flowering, photomorphogenesis, and circadian regulation. Phenotypic analysis of pse elf3-1 double mutants will test the hypothesis that these three processes are genetically separable.The discovery of new genes that influence photoperiodic flowering time will add to the repertoire of loci that are known to affect the transition to reproductive growth and might be manipulated to increase agricultural yield. An integral component of this project is the training and mentoring of undergraduate students. Their involvement in this research program will foster the development of laboratory skills and intellectual abilities that will enrich their lives and enable them to contribute to further progress in science.