Analysis of Vascular Pattern Formation in Leaves of Arabidopsis

PI建议使用分子遗传学方法在拟南芥中识别叶片维管模式形成的组成部分。叶片维管模式的形成不仅具有叶脉的简单定位，还具有发育的后果。叶原基的发育脉似乎是形态发生中心，在空间上组织了许多(如果不是大多数)分化的叶细胞类型。这在功能上是有意义的，因为许多细胞类型必须与静脉协同工作，需要定义的空间关系。然而，对血管模式形成过程的基础了解很少，还需要描述性和实验工作。根据初步研究，维管构型受到遗传操作的影响，在某些情况下，但不是所有情况下，会影响叶片的形态。本项目包括以下三个目标：1.表征叶原基中已有的四个维管细胞分子标记2.使用细胞消融策略来研究发育中的维管模式是否直接影响叶片的形态和细胞分化(如PI假设)，或者维管形成是否适应由其他方法产生的叶片形状和细胞模式3.确定现有和新的血管构型突变体确定的基因的作用

The PI proposes to identify the components of leaf vascular pattern formation, using a molecular genetic approach in Arabidopsis. The formation of the leaf vascular pattern has developmental consequences beyond the simple siting of veins. The developing veins of the leaf primordium appear to serve as morphogenetic centers that organize spatially much if not most of the differentiating leaf cell types. This makes functional sense, since many of the cell types must function in cooperation with the veins, requiring a defined spatial relationship. However, little is understood of the basis of the vascular pattern formation process, and both descriptive and experimental work is needed. Based on preliminary studies, vascular patterning is subject to genetic manipulation, in some but not all cases with effects on leaf morphology. This project includes the following three aims:1. Characterize four existing molecular markers for provascular cells in leaf primordia 2. Use a cell ablation strategy to address whether the developing vascular pattern directly influences leaf morphology and cell differentiation (as the PI hypothesizes) or whether vascularization accomodates leaf shapes and cell patterns created by other means3. Determine the roles of genes identified by existing and new vascular patterning mutants