玉米蜡质相关突变体glossy6功能及耐旱机制的研究

表皮蜡质是绝大多数陆生植物和外界环境交流的屏障，对植物自身有着保护作用，尤其是防止非气孔性水分散失及病虫害、紫外射线等伤害。本研究发现并克隆了一个玉米苗期蜡质显著减少的突变体glossy6(gl6)，在干旱条件下该突变体较正常野生型玉米敏感。经表皮蜡质的电子扫描及透射扫描观察，结合突变体表皮蜡质的初步检测，证明该突变体较野生型叶片表皮蜡质明显减少。gl6编码一个新的未知功能的DUF538蛋白。本项目拟在现有基础上，对目标基因进行转基因互补验证，并构建等位的玉米Mu转座突变体及RNAi干扰突变体对其进行验证。通过亚细胞定位、共定位以及以GUS染色、RNA-Seq分析研究其时空表达特异性；通过酵母双杂交、BIFC等技术研究其互作蛋白并研究其功能。通过以上工作，为研究玉米叶片表皮蜡质积累，以及glossy6在玉米苗期抗旱机制中的作用奠定一定理论基础。

Epicuticular waxes are essential to most of the aerial plants since it directly exchange with the outside environment. Especially protects the plants from the water loss, UV irradiation as well as the bacterial, fungi and insects. Here we found and cloned the waxes related maize glossy6(gl6), which show drought sensitivity under the drought stress. Further SEM (Electronic scanning electron microscopy) and TEM (transmission scanning electron microscope) analysis, combine with the epidermal wax analysis in gl6, indicated that the waxes content is significantly decreased in gl6 mutant. gl6, encodes a DUF538 protein, was a new wax gene which has not been studied yet. Based on above research, we are aiming to study the function of gl6 by complementary assay in Arabidopsis, RNAi in normal maize inbred line, as well we construct the Mu insertional additional allele for gl6. Besides that, we expected to study the spatio-temporal expression pattern of gl6 via subcellular position, GUS staining and RNA-Seq analysis. Meanwell, we will conduct the Y2H, BIFC and other related technology to study the interacted protein of GL6. Based on above work, we expected to lay the foundation of the waxes biosynthesis pathway as well as the drought resistance mechanism in maize and other crops.