番茄茎尖分生组织成熟决定开花时间和花序结构的分子机制研究

植物干细胞组成的茎尖分生组织(Shoot Apical Meristem，SAM)的成熟很大程度上决定植物丰富多样的花序结构。番茄 SAM 的成熟是一个被精准调控的程序化过程，决定番茄的开花时间和花序结构，进而决定果实的收获时间和产量，所以获得理想花序结构对收获果实的蔬菜作物产量至关重要。番茄ALOG 家族一共12个成员，我们通过CRISPR/Cas9技术获得ALOG家族其它在SAM高表达基因的缺失突变体，并通过杂交获得不同组合的多突变体，这些突变体的开花时间提前，花序结构简单化，说明ALOG家族成员在调控番茄开花时间和花序结构中具有重要作用。本项目将根据SAM成熟的程序化过程决定花序结构和开花时间的原理，运用分子遗传学、生物化学、细胞生物学等传统策略，结合特异组织显微切割转录组学和顺式调控元件鉴定组学(DAP-seq)等新兴技术，解析番茄花序结构和开花的分子调控网络。

Inflorescences originate from stem cells which are in shoot apical meristem (SAM). Meristem maturation is a precisely regulated programmatic process, during which the stem cell fate switches from vegetative to reproductive growth. Differences of meristem maturation determine the quantity and configuration of branches and flowers within inflorescence, which is a determinative factor of successful reproduction in plants and yield in agriculture. Achieving ideal inflorescence architecture is essential for fruit crops. ALOG family contains 12 members in tomato, in addition to TMF, we obtained the mutants of other genes which are highly expressed in SAM by CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology, and generated different double, triple, quadruple, quintuple mutants by crossing. Compared with WT, mutants have advanced flowering time and simple inflorescence architecture, suggesting that ALOG family members play important roles in regulating flowering and inflorescence architecture of tomato. In this project, we will use tomato as a research model, based on the gradual maturation of SAM to determine the inflorescence architecture and flowering time, using traditional strategies such as molecular genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, combined with transcriptomics of specific tissue microdissection and DAP-seq to identify the molecular regulatory network that regulates the inflorescence architecture and flowering in tomato.