Dissertation Research: Teosinte Branched 1 and the Evolution of Andropogoneae

9801450 Doebley 本研究将探讨禾本科植物族穿心莲族的惊人多样性，其中包括玉米和草原草等常见植物。 这一组提供了材料来阐明分子和遗传变化，导致了可变形式的进化。 有很好的证据表明，该部落起源于大约6000万年前，从那时起，成员已经分化，使属显示出令人眼花缭乱的植物和营养特征。 假设相同基因的变化是相关但不同性状进化的基础，将使用大刍草分支基因1进行测试。 在玉米中，tb1参与控制植物的茎分枝、花性别和花序结构。 利用不同属的选择器官的原位杂交，我们将开始确定tb1的表达模式是否与观察到的整个部落的性状多样化模式相关。 如果这种相关性存在，我们将有证据表明，一个单一的基因可能有助于一个特定的形态特征的进化。

9801450 Doebley The phenomenal diversity of the grass tribe Andropogoneae, which contains such common plants as corn and prairie grass, will be examined in this study. This group provides material to elucidate the molecular and genetic changes that has led to the evolution of variable forms. There is good evidence that the tribe originated about 60 million years ago, and since that time members have diverged so that genera display a dazzling array of both floral and vegetative characteristics. The hypothesis that changes in the same gene underlie the evolution of related but diverse traits will be tested using the gene teosinte branched1. In maize tb1 is involved in the control of stem branching and floral-gender aspects of plant and inflorescence architecture. Utilizing in situ hybridization of selected organs of different genera, we will begin to determine if tb1 expression patterns correlate with the observed pattern of trait diversification across the tribe. If such a correlation exists, we will have evidence that a single gene can potentially contribute to the evolution of a specific morphological feature.