小麦是世界上最重要的粮食作物之一，但小麦复杂的基因组和遗传背景导致了其遗传分析困难，遗传转化效率低下，大大限制了小麦功能基因的研究。因此，在小麦中建立高效的功能基因组学研究方法极为重要。人工核酸酶，包括锌指核酸酶（ZFNs）和TALE核酸酶（TALENs）是近几年发展起来的高效的基因定点改造技术，目前在多种动植物中的成功利用，显示了其巨大的潜力。在我们已经建立的小麦规模化遗传转化平台的基础上，本研究试图在小麦中建立锌指核酸酶（ZFNs）和TALE核酸酶（TALENs）定点突变技术体系，再选用小麦开花基因VRN1、VRN2和VRN3作为内源基因突变的对象，通过ZFNs和TALENs对它们进行定点改造，结合表型分析和遗传学分析，进一步阐述这三个基因在小麦春化调控途径中的功能和相互作用。高效的小麦基因定点突变技术体系的建立将为小麦功能基因组学的研究和小麦品种的定向改良提供一个有效的手段。

Wheat is one of the world's most important food crops. However, the complexity of its genome and genetic background led to the difficulty of genetic analysis and low efficiency of genetic transformation. The functional genomics research in wheat was therefore greatly restricted. Artificially engineered nucleases, including zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) and TALE nucleases (TALENs), are the recently developed site-directed mutagenesis technologies. The great potentials of ZFNs and TALENs have been successfully exploited in a variety of plants and animals. Based on our efficient and stable wheat transformation platform, in this study, we attempts to develop efficient site-directed mutagenesis in wheat using custom-designed zinc finger nucleases and TALENs. Furthermore, ZFNs and TALENs recognizing the wheat flowering genes VRN1, VRN2, VRN3 will be made and introduced into wheat genome. By phenotypic and genetic analysis for the mutants, we will describe the functions and interactions of these three genes in mechanism of vernalization in wheat. The efficient site-directed mutagenesis in wheat will provide an effective technology for wheat functional genomics research and targeted improvements of wheat variety.