NSF Young Investigator

9458210维格尔从营养发育到生殖发育的转变是开花植物生命周期中的一个关键转变。尽管它很重要，但人们对这种发育开关背后的分子机制知之甚少。韦格尔博士此前分离出了一种名为LEAFY的基因，这是已知最早在小型十字花科植物拟南芥的花中活跃的基因，它的活性是花的特性所必需的。他建议使用遗传和分子方法来破译导致从开花诱导到花内花型形成的遗传等级，最初使用LEAFY基因作为主要工具。他将讨论的具体问题包括：(1)开花诱导如何导致决定花特性的基因的激活？(2)除了叶子外，还有哪些基因控制花特性？芽和花中的模式或器官的出现是如何调节的？(4)拟南芥中已发现的机制在其他种类的开花植物中是否保守？%本工作旨在研究和识别开花植物生活史中从营养发育向生殖发育转换的分子机制。具体的问题将在拟南芥中被提出，并最终在其他开花植物中被提出。对这些问题的回答将导致对开花决定的机械论理解，这将不仅允许直接控制拟南芥的开花，也允许直接控制其他重要的经济植物的开花。***

9458210 Weigel The switch from vegetative to reproductive development is a critical transition in the life cycle of a flowering plant. Despite its importance, the molecular mechanisms underlying this developmental switch are poorly understood. Dr. Weigel has previously isolated a gene, LEAFY, that is the earliest known gene to be active in flowers of the small crucifer Arabidopsis, and whose activity is required for floral identity. He proposes to use genetic and molecular approaches to decipher the genetic hierarchy that leads form floral induction to pattern formation within the flower, initially using the LEAFY gene as a main tool. Specific questions that he will address include the following: (1) How does floral induction lead to the activation of genes that determine floral identity? (2) Which genes, in addition to LEAFY, control floral identity? How is the pattern or organ emergence in shoots and flowers regulated? (4) Are the mechanisms uncovered in Arabidopsis conserved in other species of flowering plants? %%% This work seeks to investigate and identify molecular mechanisms underlying the switch from vegetative to reproductive development in the life cycle of a flowering plant. Specific questions will be asked in Arabidopsis thaliana and, ultimately, in other flowering plants. The answers to be obtained to those questions will lead to a mechanistic understanding of floral determination which will permit directed manipulation of flowering not only in Arabidopsis but also in other, economically important plants. ***