Analysis of genetic variation for flowering time in wild barley grown under different environmental conditions

开花时间对植物适应特定环境至关重要，并对作物品种的粮食产量产生重大影响。在拟南芥中已经发现了大量的开花时间基因，其中许多基因在包括谷类植物在内的物种间具有结构保守性。然而，到目前为止，这些同源物中的大多数尚未在大麦或小麦中得到功能表征。本文首次对不同环境条件下野生大麦（Hordeum spontanum Thell）花期候选基因的变异及花期行为进行了综合研究。我们旨在发现候选基因与大麦开花时间之间的新关联，并推进大麦开花时间基因的功能表征。为此，我们将I)在申请人建立的480个不同大麦系的独特收集中鉴定16个候选基因的遗传变异，II)将遗传变异与不同大田和控制条件下的开花行为联系起来，III)分析候选基因的基因表达并鉴定候选基因的推定调控区域的遗传多样性。研究开花期候选基因的自然遗传变异，将对理解大麦和其他禾本科植物适应的发育遗传过程，从而提高籽粒产量，增加可用于育种的等位基因库做出重要贡献。

The time of flowering is crucial for a plant’s adaptation to a given environment and has a major impact on grain yield in crop species. A large number of flowering time genes have been identified in A. thaliana, and many of them are structurally conserved across species including cereals. However, the majority of these orthologs have not been functionally characterized in barley or wheat so far. Here, we propose to conduct the first comprehensive survey on variation in flowering time candidate genes and flowering time behavior under different environmental conditions in wild barley, Hordeum spontaneum Thell. We aim at identifying novel associations between candidate genes and flowering time, and to advance the functional characterization of flowering time genes in barley. To this end we will I) characterize genetic variation at 16 candidate genes in a unique collection of 480 diverse barley lines established by the applicant, II) associate genetic variation with flowering behavior under different field and controlled conditions, and III) analyze gene expression and characterize genetic diversity in putative regulatory regions of candidate genes. The characterization of natural genetic variation at flowering time candidate genes will make an important contribution to understanding developmental genetic processes underlying adaptation and thus grain yield in barley and other grasses and increase the pool of alleles available for breeding.