BIOINFORMATIC ANALYSIS OF CDNAS POTENTIALLY INVOLVED IN THORN DEVELOPMENT

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中利用 资源由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目和 调查员(PI)可能从NIH的另一个来源获得了主要资金， 并因此可以在其他清晰的条目中表示。列出的机构是 该中心不一定是调查人员的机构。 许多植物使用刺作为最初的防线，以防止食草动物的消耗。令人惊讶的是，人们对控制皮刺发育的分子信号知之甚少，尽管我们知道它们是由一种称为表皮的单一增殖外部细胞类型组成的。已有研究表明，这种细胞类型的增殖是由表皮细胞和底层形成层组织之间的分子信号通路控制的。一个有趣的对比是，癌症的生长正好相反--细胞的不受控制的增殖。如果通过直接比较有刺和无刺植物的基因表达来确定刺生长的机制，可能会更好地理解癌症的机制。我建议使用覆盆子和黑莓(悬钩子属)作为一个模型系统来研究与皮刺发育有关的基因。这些植物是理想的，因为它们都能产生带刺和无刺的品种，从而可以进行精确的遗传比较。此外，尽管到目前为止还没有做过什么分子研究，但已经从悬钩子中分离出了防止癌症肿瘤生长的化合物。我们目前正在准备和测序一个比较带刺悬钩子和无刺悬钩子的消减cDNA文库。 为了阐明候选基因，我们打算使用生物信息学方法，包括比较和组织这些EST，以使我们能够识别将接受进一步分析的潜在基因候选。分析中确定的潜在候选基因将在随后的实验中进一步测试，这些实验将提供进一步的证据，证明它们在棘突发育中的作用，并最终可能有助于识别控制癌症肿瘤生长的候选基因。确定的候选基因将被用作初步数据，以加强联邦资助的提案。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Many plants use thorns as an initial line of defense to prevent consumption by herbivores. Surprisingly little is known about the molecular signals that control prickle development, although it is known that they are composed of a single proliferating outer cell type called the epidermis. It has been suggested that the proliferation of this cell type is controlled by a molecular signaling pathway between the epidermal cells and the underlying cambial tissue. In an interesting contrast, cancer growth is the opposite - an uncontrolled proliferation of cells. If the mechanism underlying thorn growth could be identified by directly comparing gene expression between prickled and prickleless varieties of plants, the mechanisms underlying cancer may be better understood. I propose to use raspberries and blackberries (genus Rubus) as a model system to study the genes implicated in prickle development. These plants are ideal because both produce prickled and prickleless varieties, allowing precise genetic comparisons to be made. Moreover, compounds that prevent cancer tumor growth have already been isolated from Rubus although very little molecular research has been done to date. We are currently preparing and sequencing a subtractive cDNA library contrasting prickled and prickleless Rubus plants. In an effort to elucidate candidate genes, we intend to use a bioinformatic approach which will involve comparing and organizing these ESTs to allow us to identify potential gene candidates that will be subjected to further analysis. The potential gene candidates identified in the analysis will be further tested in subsequent experiments that will provide further evidence as to their role in thorn development and may ultimately help identify gene candidates that control cancer tumor growth. The gene candidates identified will be used as preliminary data to strengthen a proposal for federal funding.