生育期是影响大豆产量重要因素，大豆品种光周期反应的强弱决定着其生育期长短，进而影响产量与种植范围。生育期基因E3和E4是拟南芥光敏色素A的同源基因，它们能控制大豆对光周期的敏感性，并抑制成花素基因FT2a和FT5a的表达。然而，其中的调控机制并不清楚。明确其调控机制对理解大豆光周期调控开花的途径十分重要。本课题前期研究表明，E3和E4可以和大豆特异的转录因子E1家族蛋白直接相互作用，而E1家族蛋白通过调节FT2a和FT5a的转录水平来调控大豆开花。该信号通路在别的物种中尚未发现，属于大豆中的创新性研究。本项目拟进一步验证E3和E4与E1家族蛋白的生化互作，探究它们的遗传互作，并阐明E3、E4与E1家族蛋白互作的生物学意义，揭示E3和E4对大豆开花期的调控机制和方式。这将明晰大豆光周期开花通路重要基因的调控关系，进一步完善大豆适应性的理论基础，为大豆分子设计育种提供重要的理论依据和遗传资源。

Maturity is an important factor affecting soybean yields. The sensitivity of cultivated soybeans to photoperiod determines the length of their maturity stage, and thus their yields and planting range. Maturity genes E3 and E4 are homologous genes of Arabidopsis phytochrome A. They can control the sensitivity of soybean to photoperiod and inhibit the expression of florigen genes FT2a and FT5a. However, the regulation mechanism is not clear. It is important to reveal their regulation relationships for understanding soybean photoperiodic flowering pathway. Previous studies in this subject showed that E3 and E4 can directly interact with legume-specific transcriptional factor E1 family proteins, and E1 family proteins regulate soybean flowering by inhibiting transcription levels of FT2a and FT5a. This signaling pathway has not been found in other species, so it is an innovative study in soybean. This project intends to further verify the biochemical interactions of E3 and E4 and E1 family proteins, explore their genetic interactions, identify the biological significance of the interactions of E3, E4, and E1 family proteins, and clarify the regulation mechanisms of E3 and E4 on soybean flowering. This will clarify the regulatory relationships of important genes in the photoperiodic flowering pathway of soybean, further improve the theoretical basis of soybean adaptability, and provide important theoretical basis and genetic resources for soybean molecular design and breeding.