Genetic Analysis of Natural Variation in the Control of Flowering Timing and Inflorescence Architecture in Brassica rapa

PI：C。罗伯逊麦克朗（达特茅斯学院）合作PI：理查德M。Amasino（威斯康星州大学），Cynthia Weinig（明尼苏达大学）物种的地理范围可以很广，这在被广泛种植的驯化物种中尤其如此。作物品种在纬度范围内遇到的环境差异很大，包括日照长度和温度的变化。 在许多植物物种中，包括芜菁，昼夜节律钟调节的日照长度强烈影响开花时间。 此外，开花时间和时钟功能都受环境温度的影响。 有相当大的自然变化的日照时间的反应，昼夜节律钟，和温度的反应，这种遗传变异无疑有助于这些物种在不同的环境中茁壮成长的能力。将这些复杂的遗传相互作用的研究扩展到作物所经历的环境是很重要的，因为开花时间的遗传机制可能与环境相互作用，并决定了作物可以种植的纬度。芸苔属作物提供了一个特别有吸引力的系统。 首先，芸苔属植物与拟南芥密切相关，这意味着该模型系统为支持此类研究提供了强大的信息基础。 第二，芸苔属物种在形态上提供了巨大的多样性：B。栽培芜菁是为了获取种子、蔬菜和贮藏器官，栽培的种类仅代表该属植物多样性的一小部分。本项目将评估B。在生物钟功能，开花时间，花的大小和形状对日照长度和温度的反应中，拉帕的自然变化。 此外，还讨论了这种变异对B.将研究拉帕在广泛的环境范围内茁壮成长的可能性。最后，本项目将开发一种诱变的B。更广泛的影响：该项目将揭示新的基本问题，并有可能增加价值芸苔属作物（代表超过10亿美元/年的价值）在开花时间和日照反应的操纵方面。该项目还提供了定量分子和经典遗传分析的本科生，博士前和博士后水平的教育机会。 此外，本项目还将开发快速循环B。拉帕突变体作为教育资源，教经典，分子和生化遗传学在K-12和本科水平。这将扩大威斯康星州的“快速植物”计划，这是一个资源，已经获得了广泛的接受在课堂上。 因此，该项目的外联工作应体现在国家一级。 可通过项目网站查阅本项目产生的数据。 产生的种质将根据要求以及通过拟南芥生物资源中心提供。

PI: C. Robertson McClung (Dartmouth College)Co-PIs: Richard M. Amasino (University of Wisconsin), Cynthia Weinig (University of Minnesota)The geographic range of species can be broad, and this is particularly true among domesticated species that are widely cultivated. Crop species encounter widely differing environments, including variable daylength and temperature, across their latitudinal ranges. In many plant species, including Brassica rapa, daylength modulated by the circadian clock strongly affects flowering time. In addition, both flowering time and clock function are influenced by ambient temperature. There is considerable natural variation to the daylength response, the circadian clock, and temperature responsiveness, and this genetic variation undoubtedly contributes to the ability of these species to thrive in diverse environments. It is important to extend the study of these complex genetic interactions to the environments experienced by crop plants, because the genetic mechanisms that underlie flowering time likely interact with the environment and determine the latitude over which a crop can be cultivated. The Brassica crops offer an especially attractive system. First, Brassica is closely related to Arabidopsis, which means that this model system offers a powerful information base to support such studies. Second, the Brassica species offer enormous diversity in morphology: B. rapa is cultivated for seeds, vegetables, and storage organs, and the cultivated types represent only a fraction of the diversity in the genus. This project will evaluate B. rapa natural variation in circadian clock function, flowering time, and flower size and shape in response to daylength and temperature. In addition, the contributions of this variation to the ability of B. rapa to thrive across a broad environmental range will be studied. Finally, this project will develop a mutagenized B. rapa population and laboratory exercises to use this population for the teaching of genetics for K-12 and undergraduate education.Broader Impacts: This project will shed new light on fundamental questions and has the potential to add value to Brassica crops (representing over $1 billion/yr in value) in terms of manipulation of flowering time and daylength responses. This project also offers educational opportunities at the undergraduate, predoctoral and postdoctoral levels in quantitative molecular and classical genetic analysis. In addition, this project will develop rapid-cycling B. rapa mutants as an educational resource to teach classical, molecular, and biochemical genetics at the K-12 and undergraduate levels. This will expand the Wisconsin 'FastPlants' program which is a resource that has already gained widespread acceptance in the classroom. Thus, the outreach aspects of this project should be manifest on a national level. Access to data generated in this project will be accessible through a project website. Germplasm generated will be available on request as well as through the Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center.