转录因子LcKNOX23调控荔枝落果的分子机制研究

荔枝是我国原产且研究和产业优势明显的南方果树，但其采前大量落果造成极大经济损失，因此挖掘调控荔枝落果的关键因子及探究其分子机制值得关注。本项目利用前期的RNA-seq初步筛选到一个可能与荔枝落果相关的KNOX转录因子LcKNOX23，而前人的研究表明KNOX转录因子在器官脱落中起重要作用，但其调控机理不清楚。本项目将以荔枝为材料，分析LcKNOX23转录因子的特征，结合异源转基因拟南芥器官脱落表型，初步确定LcKNOX23是调控荔枝落果的一个关键因子；进一步通过异源转基因番茄和ChIP-seq深入分析LcKNOX23转录因子的功能及其调控的靶基因，以期系统阐明LcKNOX23调控荔枝落果的分子机制。项目研究结果将丰富植物器官脱落调控的机制，并将为生产上改进荔枝落果管理措施及后期的分子改良提供新的重要理论基础。

As a native fruit crop of Southern China, litchi is very important in fruit research and industry, however, litchi is very vulnerable to fruit abscission before harvest, thus results in huge economic losses, so it is noteworthy to mine the key regulators controlling fruit abscission and their molecular mechanism. Currently, our previous RNA-seq analysis revealed that LcKNOX23, which belongs to the KNOX superfamily thranscriptional factor, may involve in fruit abscission. what’s important is that previous report have shown that KNOX transcriptional factors play key roles in regulating organ shedding, while the potential molecular mechanism is unclear. In this present project, to reveal the function and molecular mechanism of LcKNOX23 in controlling the fruit abscission, firstly, molecular characterization and transgenetic Arabidopsis analysis will be used to determine the key role of LcKNOX23 in regulating organ abscision, then, the function of LcKNOX23 in regulating organ shedding will be further determined by ectopic overexpression of LcKNOX23 in tomato, finally, to systematically elucidate the molecular mechanism of LcKNOX23 in controlling litchi fruit abscission, the targets of LcKNOX23 involved in fruit abscission progress will be isolated by ChIP-seq. The results obtained in this project will not only expand the mechanism controlling plant organ abscission, but also provide new essential theoretical support for improving cultivation management and cultivars.