Understanding the ancestral function of RCO/LMI1 type homeobox genes in early-divergent land plants.

我们最近表明，同源结构域转录因子的晚分生组织身份1（LMI 1）/降低复杂性（RCO）类型参与一种新的生长调节途径，在种子植物的叶形式的进化多样化的基础。与Sabine Zachgo教授一起，我们还获得了LMI 1型基因调节地钱生长的初步证据。这些发现导致的假设，这一途径的至少某些方面可能在苔类植物中起作用，因此可能代表了非常保守的功能，这些功能对早期陆地植物进化很重要。为了验证这一假设，我们建议使用遗传学，先进的成像和计算建模来表征模型地钱中LMI 1型基因的功能。我们还建议调查的模式苔藓Physchomitrella patens这将有助于查明，如果LMI 1型基因的功能在生长调节方面的功能在早期的陆地植物中保守的转录因子的功能。最后，通过有针对性的转基因实验与相关序列的绿色藻类，我们的目标是调查是否生长调节所需的蛋白质的结构特征已经存在之前，植物定殖的土地，因此可能使这种定殖。

We have recently shown that homeodomain transcription factors of the Late Meristem Identity 1 (LMI1) / Reduced Complexity (RCO) type participate in a novel growth regulating pathway that underlies evolutionary diversification of leaf form in seed plants. Together with Prof. Sabine Zachgo, we have also obtained preliminary evidence that an LMI1 type gene regulates growth in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. These findings lead to the hypothesis that at least some aspects of this pathway may operate in liverworts and therefore may represent deeply conserved functions that were important for early land plant evolution. To test this hypothesis, we propose to characterize the function of LMI1 type genes in the model Marchantia polymorpha using genetics, advanced imaging and computational modelling. We also propose to investigate functions of this transcription factor in the model moss Physchomitrella patens which will help pinpoint if aspects of LMI1 type gene function in growth regulation were conserved in early land plants. Finally, through targeted transgenic experiments with related sequences from green algae, we will aim to investigate whether structural features of the protein necessary for growth regulation were already present before plants colonized land and therefore may have enabled this colonization.