锥栗花性别分化激素调控机理研究

我国重要的木本粮食树种锥栗存在雄花量过大、雌花量不足、单产低的现象，如何调节雌雄比例以提高产量是生产中急需解决的重要问题。项目组初步研究发现锥栗花性别分化具有可塑性，激素对栗花性别分化起着重要作用。然而它们调控花性别分化的机制却尚不清楚。本项目以发现的锥栗特异种质为试材，应用组织解剖技术、HPLC-MSn分析、荧光定量PCR技术、转录组学和生物信息学等研究手段，从细胞水平、激素代谢和分子水平上，探究栗花在性别分化前后内源激素的分布及消长动态变化，确定影响雌、雄花性别分化的主要激素；对影响雌雄花分化的激素生物合成的基因进行鉴别和表达分析，确定其关键基因；研究影响雌雄花分化的关键激素对锥栗花器官建成、发育关键基因表达的调控，阐明激素对栗花性别分化的调控机理。研究结果具有重要的理论和实践价值。

Castanea henryi is an important woody grain tree species in China. However, the imbalance proportion of male and female flowers restricted the development of the industry. So it’s an urgency to understand the mechanism of sex differentiation of C. henryi, and regulate the ratio of female flower to male flowers to increase the production. The preliminary study was found that flower sex expression in Castanea henryi could be regulated, besides, hormone played an important role in sex expression procedure. However, there are some problems still not clear. What are the major hormones associated with floral sex differentiation? How these key genes of hormones biosynthesis and signal transduction affect the sex differentiation? In this study, the mechanism of sex expression in C. henryi would be investigated from cytology, physiology (hormone) and molecular biology aspects, by using tissue dissection techniques, HPLC-MSn analysis technology, immune electron microscopy, fluorescence quantitative PCR technology, transcriptomics, bioinformatics analysis and so on. Firstly, we plan to explore the dynamic variation rules and the distribution of endogenous hormone in male and female flower during C. henryi differentiation, and figure out the major hormone which effects sex differentiation in C. henryi. Secondly, we plan to identify the key gene which plays a key role in the process of sex differentiation of C. henryi. Lastly, we intend to study how the key hormone to regulate the key gene expression of C. henryi flower organ formation and development. We want to elaborate the regulation mechanism of hormone on sex differentiation of C. henryi. It will be significant to explain the mechanism of sexual differentiation and to facilitate the production application in C. henryi.