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。 缺乏两种称为 ARF6 和 ARF8 的转录调节因子的突变植物的花会在未成熟阶段停止生长，因此这些花仍然是不育的闭合花蕾。 弱光条件也会导致类似阶段的停滞，表明光可能通过 ARF6 和 ARF8 调节花的成熟。 为了详细探索如何调控花朵成熟的机制，里德博士将首先建立精确的光照条件，使我们能够控制花朵的成熟。 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，他将研究一种名为 miR167 (micro-RNA 167) 的天然小 RNA 分子的作用，预计该分子可调节 ARF6 和 ARF8 翻译或转录稳定性。 他将在各种光照条件下测量 miR167 的水平，检查它在哪些组织中对报告基因构建体具有活性，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，因此这些研究中揭示的调控机制可能对所有开花植物都是通用的。 了解这些机制可能有助于操纵或改良具有可食用花蕾的作物，例如西兰花或丁香。

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.