Auxin Response Factors in flower maturation

花的成熟对于植物的繁殖至关重要，因为它确保了雌性和雄性生殖器官的协调成熟以及吸引传粉者的花的展示。拟南芥转录因子生长素反应因子6（ARF6）和ARF8通过促进花瓣扩展、雄性和雌性器官成熟和其他过程来调节这些复杂的过程。 该项目将鉴定由ARF6和ARF8直接调控的成花基因，确定它们对影响基因表达的染色质修饰的影响，并鉴定与ARF6和ARF8共同作用的其他转录因子。通过了解ARF6和ARF8在花成熟中的功能，该项目将为协调发育过程的调节提供一般性见解。 这项研究还可能为在传粉者数量下降的情况下优化种子或水果生产的战略提供信息。 该项目将为博士后研究员和学生提供科学培训，并将为学童和公众制作一个30分钟的互动式多媒体演示。与北卡罗来纳州大学的莫尔黑德天文馆和科学中心合作制作，这个演示将教育公众关于遗传学和花的功能，并将在夏季每天呈现。该项目将产生广泛的基因组结合和基因表达数据，这些数据将在公共NCBI基因表达综合数据库中发表和保存。 该项目产生的植物材料将存放在拟南芥生物资源中心。

Flower maturation is critical for plant reproduction because it ensures coordinated maturation of female and male reproductive organs as well as floral display that attracts pollinators. The Arabidopsis transcription factors AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 6 (ARF6) and ARF8 regulate these complex processes by promoting petal expansion, male and female organ maturation and other processes. This project will identify floral genes directly regulated by ARF6 and ARF8, determine their effects on chromatin modifications that influence gene expression, and identify other transcription factors that act together with ARF6 and ARF8. By understanding the functions of ARF6 and ARF8 in flower maturation the project will provide general insights into regulation of coordinated developmental processes. The research may also inform strategies to optimize seed or fruit production in the face of declining pollinator populations. The project will provide scientific training for postdoctoral fellows and students and will produce an interactive 30-minute multimedia presentation for schoolchildren and the general public. Produced in collaboration with the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center at the University of North Carolina, this presentation will educate the public about genetics and flower function and will be presented daily in the summer months. The project will generate extensive genome binding and gene expression data that will be published and deposited in the public NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus database. Plant materials generated in the project will be deposited in the Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center.