RUI: Root architecture and phase change, how two seemingly different aspects of plant development tie together

非技术段落：植物根的功能是从土壤中获取水分和矿物质养分(肥料)，以及锚定植物和防止土壤侵蚀。植物的根系通常由一个主根和多个分枝组成，分枝模式对植物的表现有很大的影响。这个项目的重点是发现确定沿主根放置分支根的位置的机制。PI最近发现，根分枝的模式随着植物在其生命周期的不同阶段而变化。与早期根分枝模式的变化相一致的是，叶片在地上部的排列也发生了变化，这引发了许多关于叶和根的位置如何控制和协调的问题。这项工作的结果将增加对指导植物生长的基本原则的理解，并可能有助于培育产量更高的植物，或加强对水或氮等营养物质的获取或利用，从而加强美国在科学研究方面的领先地位。该项目还将通过直接让本科生参与研究，为培训下一代科学技术做出贡献，这一做法已被证明在招收和留住理科学生方面是有效的。该项目还将支持地区高中生的实验室研究经验，他们将得到PI和本科生的指导，进一步扩大该项目的教育和科学影响。技术段落：植物新梢的不同发展阶段早已被认识到。相反，虽然分生组织的大小和根厚的变化是已知的，但根发育的阶段依赖性变化的可能性很少受到关注。来自PI实验室的新数据表明，侧根的位置随着根的成熟而变化，指导生长素运输的蛋白质对这些阶段的影响是不同的。此外，影响侧根位置的几个基因的功能丧失也会影响植物从幼叶排列模式转换到成熟排列模式的时间。该项目将：(1)确定根部发生发育变化的时间，并测试已知控制地上部阶段变化的基因也控制根部阶段的假设。它还将(2)研究已确定的基因之间的遗传和分子相互作用，并测试有关根和茎中器官间距的调节如何协调的假设。该项目将增加本科生通过PI实验室积极参与科学的机会，通过将修订的学分课程使参与这项研究成为教育经验的核心，并通过前往奥伯林以外的领先植物发育生物学实验室的机会。PI和本科生还将与当地公立高中合作，将多天的调查实验带到高中，并为来自代表不足群体的有动力的高中生创造机会到PI的实验室工作。

Non-technical paragraph: Plant roots function in acquiring moisture and mineral nutrients (fertilizer) from the soil, as well as anchoring the plant and preventing soil erosion. The root system of a plant is typically composed of a main root with multiple branches and the branching pattern has substantive impacts on the plant's performance. This project focuses on discovering the mechanisms that determine where along the main root the branch roots will be placed. The PI recently discovered that the pattern of root branching varies as plants progress through different stages of their life cycle. Coincident with an early change in the pattern of root branching, the arrangement of leaves in the shoot also changes, raising many questions about how the positioning of leaves and roots is controlled and coordinated. The results of this work will enhance the United States' position as a leader in scientific research by adding to the understanding of fundamental principles that guide plant growth and may contribute to the ability to breed plants with higher yields or enhanced acquisition or use of water or nutrients such as nitrogen. The project also will contribute to training the next generation in science and technology by directly involving undergraduate students in the research, a practice that has been shown to be effective in recruiting and retaining students in science. The project will also support laboratory research experiences for area high school students, who will be mentored by the PI and undergraduates, further extending the project's educational and scientific impact.Technical Paragraph: Distinct phases of development have long been recognized in plant shoots. In contrast, the potential for phase-dependent changes in root development receives little attention, although changes in meristem size and root thickness are known to occur. New data from the PI's laboratory show that the positioning of lateral roots varies as the root matures, and that proteins that direct auxin transport affect these stages differently. In addition, loss-of-function of several genes that affect lateral root positioning also affect the time at which plants switch from a juvenile to a mature pattern of leaf arrangement. This project will: (1) establish the timing of developmental changes that take place in the root and test the hypothesis that genes known to control phase change in the shoot also control phase in the root. It will also (2) investigate genetic and molecular interactions between the identified genes and test hypotheses as to how regulation of organ spacing in the root and shoot are coordinated. This project will increase the opportunities for undergraduates to actively participate in science through the PI's laboratory, through a credit-bearing course that will be revised to make involvement in this research the centerpiece of the educational experience, and through opportunities for travel to a leading plant developmental biology laboratory outside of Oberlin. The PI and undergraduates will also partner with the local public high school, bringing multi-day investigative experiments to the high school and creating opportunities for motivated high school students from underrepresented groups to work in the PI's laboratory.