谷子起源于我国，是重要的杂食作物，现逐步成为黍亚科的模式植物。叶片的形态建成是构成株型的重要因素，对禾谷类粮食作物的产量具有重要影响。我们在前期利用一个卷/披垂叶谷子突变体cdl1，图位克隆了一个新的参与植物叶/株型调控的膜蛋白类受体激酶基因。初步研究表明CDL1通过负调控油菜素内酯（Brassinosteroids, BR）信号来控制谷子的叶/株型，然而其调控BR信号的分子机制还不清。cdl1在苗期表现为卷叶，拔节期恢复至野生型，抽穗后叶片显著披垂，这种动态突变叶型与CDL1年龄依赖的组织时空性表达紧密相关。本项目将结合多种蛋白质互作技术解析CDL1在株型决定中调控BR信号的分子机制；研究植物利用何种内源信号控制CDL1组织时空性表达。从而将增添新的植物BR信号转导原件及分子机制，拓展人们对BR信号调控株/叶型的认识。

Foxtail millet, originated from China, is an important minor cereal, and currently being developed as the model for functional study in Panicoideae subfamily. Leaf architecture is one of the important components of plant architecture, and largely influences grain yield. Previously, we map-based cloned a novel player involving in regulation of leaf or plant architecture using a curvy and droopy leaf (cdl) mutant in foxtail millet. CDL1 encodes a leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase, and represses Brassinosteroids (BR) signaling to modulate leaf or plant architecture. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the negative regulation of BR signaling is still largely unknown. Moreover, the defective phenotypes of cdl1 dynamically change with the plant development showing curvy leaf at initial seedling stage, which is fully rescued at jointing stage, and gradually develops into droopy leaf after heading. This dynamic change appears to tightly associate with CDL1’s age-dependent tissue expression. Here, we will uncover the molecular mechanisms of BR signal regulation by CDL1 during leaf or plant architecture determination through a variety of protein interaction technologies, and explore what and how the endogenous cues control CDL1’s spatio-temporal expression. The results of this project will add the novel component and molecular mechanisms for BR signaling, and further extend the knowledge of the regulation of plant architecture by BR signaling.