Regulation of Flower Maturation

花成熟的调控本项目旨在研究模式植物拟南芥花成熟的机制。缺乏ARF6和ARF8两种转录调节因子的突变植物在未成熟阶段的花朵会阻止它们的生长，因此这些花仍然是闭合的芽，是不育的。弱光条件也会导致类似阶段的阻滞，这表明光可能通过ARF6和ARF8调节花的成熟。为了探索花的成熟是如何被调控的机制细节，Reed博士将首先建立精确的光照条件，使我们能够控制花的成熟。然后，他将研究这些光照条件如何影响ARF6和ARF8蛋白的丰度，以及编码它们的基因的表达。最后，他将研究一种天然存在的小RNA分子miR167（微RNA 167）的作用，该分子被预测调节ARF6和ARF8的翻译或转录稳定性。他将在各种光照条件下测量miR167的水平，研究它在哪些组织中对一个报告基因结构有活性，并确定过量产生miR167或使ARF6对其活性免疫对花成熟的影响。与ARF6、ARF8和miR167密切相关的基因存在于单子叶植物中，因此这些研究揭示的调控机制可能是所有开花植物共同的。了解这些机制可能有助于操纵或改进具有可食用花蕾的作物，如西兰花或丁香。

Regulation of flower maturationThis project is to study mechanisms by which flowers mature in the model plant Arabidopsis. Mutant plants deficient in two transcriptional regulators called ARF6 and ARF8 have flowers that arrest their growth at an immature stage, and these flowers therefore remain as closed buds that are infertile. Low light conditions also cause arrest at a similar stage, suggesting that light might regulate flower maturation through ARF6 and ARF8. To explore in mechanistic detail how flower maturation is regulated, Dr. Reed will first establish precise light conditions that allow us to control flower maturation. He will then examine how these light conditions affect abundance of ARF6 and ARF8 proteins, and expression of the genes encoding them. Finally, he will examine the role of a naturally occurring small RNA molecule called miR167 (micro-RNA 167) that is predicted to regulate ARF6 and ARF8 translation or transcript stability. H e will measure the level of miR167 under various light conditions, examine in which tissues it is active against a reporter gene construct, and determine the effect on flower maturation of overproducing miR167 or of rendering ARF6 immune to its activity. Genes closely related to ARF6, ARF8, and miR167 are present in monocots, so the regulatory mechanisms revealed in these studies may be common to all flowering plants. Understanding these mechanisms may allow manipulation or improvement of crops with edible flower buds such as broccoli or cloves.