叶片是植物光合作用主要场所，优良的叶片形态有利于塑造理想的株型，提高光合效率。厚壁组织是维管束的重要器官之一，在维持叶片形状、构造、发育等方面起着十分重要的作用，但目前对厚壁组织形成的分子机理知之甚少。课题组通过前期筛选，获得厚壁组织发育异常突变体scd1（sclerenchyma cell defect1），并利用图位克隆法获得了该基因，该基因编码Radical-induced Cell Death家族一员(RCD1)，并成功进行功能互补。同时筛选获得与RCD1基因互作基因OSH15。为了进一步研究RCD1基因在水稻叶片厚壁细胞形成中的作用机理，本项目拟以突变体scd1为材料，通过细胞生物学、分子遗传学等手段分析RCD1基因的生物学功能，研究RCD1、OSH15相互作用及调控的靶基因，从分子水平上揭示RCD1基因在厚壁细胞分化等方面的作用，进一步完善水稻叶片形态建成的调控

Leaf shape has long been considered an important agronomic trait in rice. Moderate leaf rolling in rice leads to erect leaf canopies and higher photosynthetic efficiency, thus increasing grain yield. The sclerenchyma cell is one of the important vascular bundles organs and plays an important role in maintaining the leaf shape, structure and development. However, molecular mechanism controlling the sclerenchyma cell development is poorly understood. To address this question, we systematically screen the rice T-DNA tagged mutant library, a sclerenchyma cells defect mutant (scd1) was identified. Histological analysis in scd1 showed that sclerenchyma cells were defect in the small vascular bundles on the leaf blade. The corresponding place was occupied by a large number of mesophyll cells, leading to mechanical strength change. We isolated this gene by positional cloning, which encoded one of the radical-induced cell death families (RCD1) with unknown function. Using yeast two-hybrid technology, OSH15 gene was found to interact with RCD1. In the present study, molecular biology, biochemistry and genetics approaches.will be employed to further uncover the molecular mechanism of RCD1 in regulating leaf sclerenchyma cell development, including identification of downstream targets and interaction partners of RCD1 during sclerenchyma cell development.