Auxin Signaling in the Early Diverged Land Plant Physcomitrella Patens

Mark Estelle，早分化的陆生植物小泡藓（Physcomitrella patens）的生长素信号。植物生长发育的许多方面都是由一种叫做生长素的激素调节的。植物的身材、花朵发育、果实和种子发育等性状都受到生长素的影响。这种激素通过影响植物细胞的分裂和扩增来调节这些过程。在过去的十年里，我们对生长素信号传导的理解有了几个重要的进展。然而，仍有许多未解之谜。特别是关于生长素如何影响细胞生长的信息很少。此外，生长素在植物进化过程中的关键事件中的作用在很大程度上是未知的。为了解决这些问题，将对苔藓小壶属植物进行研究。由于与开花植物相比，苔藓的生长发育相对简单，因此对它们的研究提供了一些重要的优势。此外，苔藓是地球上最早出现的陆地植物之一。因此，了解生长素在植物中的作用将有助于了解生长素在植物进化中的作用。为了实现这些目标，苔藓参与生长素信号传导的基因将根据其与开花植物中已知基因的相似性进行鉴定。将产生这些基因突变的苔藓植物，并分析突变对生长的影响。测定苔藓生长素受体的生化特性。这些信息将有助于建立生长素受体功能的基本规则。拟议的项目将在几个领域产生更广泛的影响，例如培养博士后和本科生，参与最大限度地提高学生多样性的倡议，以及参与当地社区的外展计划。

Mark Estelle, IOS-0744800, Auxin Signaling in the Early Diverged Land Plant Physcomitrella patens.Many aspects of plant growth and development are regulated by a hormone called auxin. Traits such as plant stature, flower development, and fruit and seed development are influenced by auxin. The hormone regulates these processes by influencing plant cell division and expansion. During the last decade there have been several important advances in our understanding of auxin signaling. However, there are still many unanswered questions. In particular there is little information on how auxin affects cell growth. In addition, the role of auxin in key events during plant evolution is largely unknown. To address these questions, studies of the moss Physcomitrella patens will be conducted. Because growth and development of the mosses is relatively simple compared to flowering plants their study offers some important advantages. In addition, the mosses are some of the earliest land plants to appear on earth. Therefore understanding how auxin works in P. patens will contribute to knowledge of the role of auxin during plant evolution. To achieve these goals, moss genes involved in auxin signaling will be identified based on their similarity to known genes in flowering plants. Moss plants with mutations in these genes will be generated and the effects of the mutations on growth will be analyzed. The biochemical characteristics of auxin receptors from moss will be determined. This information will help to establish fundamental rules for auxin receptor function. The proposed project will have broader impact in several areas such as the training of postdoctoral fellows and undergraduate students, participation of initiatives for maximizing student diversity, and involvement with outreach programs to local communities.