The role of WOX genes regulating apical embryo patterning

发育的核心问题之一是多细胞生物是如何从单细胞受精卵产生的。对植物的研究发现，转录因子和信号通路是主体轴形成和器官组织形成的重要组成部分。在拟南芥中，WUSCHEL同源盒（WOX）基因家族包括几个成员，这些成员在胚胎发育过程中从受精卵阶段开始以非常特定和动态的模式表达，但单突变分析尚未揭示其功能。在之前的资助期内，我们对多突变组合的研究已经确定了一个WOX基因网络，该网络调节了顶胚结构域的模式，这表明WOX介导的转录控制是建立拟南芥体计划的重要组成部分。我们发现这个WOX基因网络调节生长素分布的梯度和pinformmed1 （PIN1）基因的表达，pinformmed1基因编码生长素运输促进蛋白，在早期胚胎模式的转录程序和激素信号之间建立了令人兴奋的联系。在本研究中，我们将研究WOX基因在顶端胚胎模式形成中的潜在分子机制。

One of the central questions in development is how a multicellular organism arises from a single celled zygote. Studies in plants identified transcriptional factors and signaling pathways as important components in the formation of the main body axes and the subsequent initiation of organs and tissues. In Arabidopsis thaliana the WUSCHEL homeobox (WOX) gene family includes several members that are expressed in very specific and dynamic patterns during embryo development from the zygote stage onwards, but single mutant analysis has not revealed their function. In the previous funding period, our studies of multiple mutant combinations has identified a network of WOX genes that regulate patterning of the apical embryo domain, suggesting that WOX mediated transcriptional control is an essential component of establishing the Arabidopsis body plan. We identified that this WOX gene network regulates gradients of auxin distribution and expression of the PINFORMED1 (PIN1) gene, which encodes an auxin transport facilitating protein, establishing an exciting link between transcription programs and hormone signaling during early embryo patterning. In this proposal we will investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms by which WOX genes function in apical embryo patterning.