A Comprehensive Study of the Maize Shoot Apex - Deciphering Genes Underlying Shoot Apical Meristem Allometry

玉米芽尖的综合研究 - 破译芽尖分生组织异速生长的基因

• 批准号: 256350817
• 负责人: Dr. Steffen Knauer
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Zentrum für Molekularbiologie der Pflanzen (ZMBP)
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Fellowships
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2013-12-31 至 2016-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/256350817?language=en
• 关键词: Comprehensive; Study; Maize; Shoot; Apex

The vegetative shoot apical meristem (SAM) is responsible for the development of all organs in the plant shoot. Furthermore, SAM shape and size (allometry) is predictive of agronomically-important adult plant traits, implying that regulatory mechanisms acting in the SAM can be used to guide crop improvement programs. The goal of this proposal is to take advantage of the tremendous genomic resources available in maize to define genetic networks that regulate SAM structure and its function in stem cell maintenance and organogenesis. High-resolution image analysis will be used in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify genes associated with the tremendous natural variation in SAM architecture present in maize. In addition, I will perform RNA profiling to define gene expression differences induced by high-density plantings common in modern agriculture that are known to significantly alter SAM allometry. These data will be combined with domain-specific transcriptomic data from the maize shoot gene expression atlas and reverse genetic analyses, to come to a comprehensive understanding of the molecular networks that regulate SAM structure and function, and to reveal how network components respond to environmental change imposed by increased planting density. The genes identified will highlight candidate targets for selection to further improve breeding towards increased biomass production and yield.

营养枝顶端分生组织（SAM）负责植物茎中所有器官的发育。此外，SAM的形状和大小（异速生长）是预测农艺学上重要的成年植物性状，这意味着在SAM中起作用的调节机制可以用来指导作物改良计划。该提案的目标是利用玉米中的巨大基因组资源来定义调节SAM结构及其在干细胞维持和器官发生中的功能的遗传网络。高分辨率图像分析将用于全基因组关联研究（GWAS），以确定与玉米中SAM结构的巨大自然变异相关的基因。此外，我将进行RNA分析，以确定在现代农业中常见的高密度种植诱导的基因表达差异，已知这些差异会显著改变SAM异速生长。这些数据将结合域特定的转录组数据从玉米芽基因表达图谱和反向遗传分析，来一个全面的了解的分子网络，调节SAM的结构和功能，并揭示网络组件如何响应环境变化所施加的种植密度增加。所确定的基因将突出选择的候选目标，以进一步改善育种，提高生物质产量和产量。