姜科象牙参属植物蜜腺发育的分子机制研究

蜜腺是一类能为传粉者提供报酬的重要结构，在植物和传粉者的互作中扮演了极其重要的角色。因此，一直以来，蜜腺都是生态-进化-发育生物学领域的研究热点。前人关于蜜腺形成机制的研究主要集中在真双子叶植物，尤其是核心真双子叶植物。由于缺乏合适的研究体系，单子叶植物中蜜腺形成的调控机制尚不清楚。姜科（Zingiberaceae）象牙参属（Roscoea）植物不仅具有其它单子叶植物不具有的位于子房顶端的上位蜜腺，并且具有发育正常且能分泌蜜汁和发育不正常不能分泌蜜汁的两种类型的蜜腺，这使得其成为了开展蜜腺发育分子机制研究的理想体系。本项目拟在已有工作的基础上，结合多种技术手段，追踪不同类型蜜腺的发育过程，揭示不同类型蜜腺的差异在发育过程中是如何建立的；解析不同类型蜜腺发育的分子机制并推测象牙参属植物中蜜腺演化产生的过程。本项目的开展将为我们理解单子叶植物蜜腺的发育和演化提供新的见解。

Nectary, which is an important structure that can provide rewards to pollinators, plays an essential role in the interaction between plants and their pollinators. Therefore, nectary has been being one of key issues in evolutionary developmental (Evo-Devo) biology. Previous studies concerning about the mechanisms underlying nectary development are mainly focused on eudicots, especially core-eudicots. However, due to the lack of suitable systems, the mechanisms underlying nectary development in monocots remain unknown. The genus Roscoea in Zingiberaceae is an exceptionally ideal group for studying the mechanisms underlying nectary development, because it has special epigynous nectaries on the top of carpel, which do not occur in other monocots. Meanwhile, two types of nectaries can be categorized based on the structure and the ability to secrete nectar: one is the nectary which develops normally and secretes nectar, and the other is the nectary which develops abnormally and does not secrete nectar. In this project, on the basis of previous studies and by combining various multidisciplinary technologies, we aim to: trace the developmental processes of different types of Roscoea nectaries and find out when the differences are established; elucidate the mechanisms underlying the development of nectaries in Roscoea and then propose the evolutionary process of nectary in Roscoea. This project will provide insights into the development and evolution of nectaries in monocots.