Molecular Mechanism of EMF1-Mediated Floral Repression in Arabidopsis

0236399 Sung胚胎花（EMF）基因，EMF 1和EMF 2，是营养发育所必需的，并参与生殖发育。 分离出14个功能丧失突变体，其中大部分在我们的实验室进行了表征。 突变体在发芽和EMF活动的调制后开花，产生了早期开花的可育植物和显示出改变的花序结构的植物。 克隆的EMF基因显示，EMF 1编码一个假定的转录调节和EMF 2的Polycomb组（PcG）蛋白同源物。基因表达研究表明，EMF蛋白质施加全球镇压的花和种子程序，从而允许营养发展发芽。本研究旨在探讨EMF 1介导的植物成花抑制的分子机制。该研究的长期目标是阐明植物发育的表观遗传机制，目标是进一步表征EMF 1和与EMF 1相互作用的几种蛋白的功能，并确定EMF 1的靶基因。免疫学或标记蛋白检测将用于研究EMF 1可能的转录后调控，并开发EMF 1蛋白检测和分离的工具。负责蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用的EMF 1与EMF 1相互作用蛋白质的区域将被表征。 诱导系统将用于激活emf 1突变体中的EMF 1，并识别EMF 1的早期靶点。找到一个蛋白质复合物，失活花器官的身份或其他早期的目标基因将提供深入了解在营养体发育过程中的花抑制的机制。 了解EMF 1介导的成花抑制的分子机制将使设计在特定时间开花的作物成为可能，从而增加其种植的地理范围。一名博士后研究员和一名研究生将参与拟议的研究。 虽然博士后研究员有必要的技能进行大部分的实验建议，他也将学习新的概念和技术在拟议的研究过程中。 研究生将接受各种分子和免疫学技术的培训。 两人都将参与实验的设计，并通过口头和书面陈述阐述实验结果。 通常情况下，不同背景的本科生参与我们的研究项目。 代表性不足的学生可以通过校园范围内的夏季研究机会计划和本科生研究机会计划获得我们的研究项目。

0236399SungThe EMBRYONIC FLOWER (EMF) genes, EMF1 and EMF2, are required for vegetative development and involved in reproductive development. Fourteen loss-of-function mutants were isolated and most were characterized in our laboratory. The mutants flower upon germination and modulation of EMF activities generated fertile plants that flower early and plants that show altered inflorescence architecture. Cloning the EMF genes revealed that EMF1 encodes a putative transcriptional regulator and EMF2 a Polycomb Group (PcG) protein homolog. Gene expression studies suggest that EMF proteins exert global repression of the flower and seed program, thereby allowing vegetative development upon germination. The proposed research aims to investigate the molecular mechanism of EMF1-mediated floral repression. The long-term goal of the proposed research is to elucidate the epigenetic mechanism underlying plant development.The objectives are to further characterize the function of EMF1 and several proteins that interact with EMF1, and identify the target genes of EMF1. Immunological or tagged-protein detection will be employed to study possible posttranscriptional regulation of EMF1 and develop tools for EMF1 protein detection and isolation. The regions of EMF1 responsible for protein-protein interaction with the EMF1-interacting proteins will be characterized. An inducible system will be used to activate EMF1 in emf1 mutants and identify early targets of EMF1. Finding a protein complex that inactivates the floral organ identity or other early target genes will provide insights into the mechanism of floral repression during vegetative development. Understanding of the molecular mechanism of EMF1-mediated floral repression would enable the design of crops that flower at specific time, thereby increasing the geographical range of their cultivation. A postdoctoral fellow and a graduate student will be involved in the proposed research. While the postdoctoral fellow has the necessary skills to carry out most of the experiments proposed, he will also learn new concepts and techniques during the course of the proposed research. The graduate student will be trained in a variety of molecular and immunological techniques. Both will be involved in the design of the experiments and articulation of experimental findings through oral and written presentations. Typically, undergraduate students of diverse backgrounds are involved in our research projects. Underrepresented students have access to our research projects through the campus-wide Summer Research Opportunity Programs and Undergraduate Research Opportunity Programs.