Novel genes regulating ovule development

种子提供了人类和牲畜饮食中的大部分蛋白质和热量，是大田作物繁殖的主要手段。胚珠是种子的发育前体，控制胚珠发育的知识可以改变种子结构，以改变稳定性、发芽、营养和加工性，并从某些果实中消除不需要的种子。虽然一些控制胚珠发育的基因已经被确定，但我们对这一重要过程的遗传调控的认识存在重大差距。 获奖者将利用诱变，遗传学和新兴的高通量测序和分析方法，通过筛选现有突变体的修饰剂来鉴定调节胚珠发育的新基因。 一旦新的基因被确定，与已知的胚珠发育调节基因的相互作用将提供初步的信息，在形态发生过程中的基因如何发挥作用。 进一步分析将包括蛋白质相互作用的评价、表达模式的测定以及蛋白质活性测定（如有指示）。研究人员将利用这些结果来制定一个更完整的图片胚珠发育的分子调控和机制调节形态发生一般。该项目涵盖遗传学、分子生物学、发育生物学和农业领域，并利用测序和生物信息学的新概念进行快速基因鉴定。该项目将在一个研究实验室环境中向初级科学家和学生提供遗传学、植物生物学以及基因和序列分析的最新方法方面的培训。外联工作将促进少数民族入学人数严重不足的机构的高中生和中学生对科学和科学研究的兴趣。

Seeds provide the majority of protein and calories in the diets of humans and livestock and are the primary means of propagation of field crops. Ovules are the developmental precursors to seeds and knowledge of the control of their development can enable modification of seed structure to alter stability, germination, nutrition, and processability, and to eliminate undesirable seeds from some fruits. While some genes controlling ovule development have been identified, there are significant gaps in our knowledge of the genetic regulation of this essential process. The awardees will utilize mutagenesis, genetics and emerging high-throughput sequencing and analysis methods to identify novel genes regulating ovule development through screening for modifiers of existing mutants. Once novel genes are identified, genetic interactions with known ovule developmental regulators will provide initial information on how the genes act during morphogenesis. Further analysis will include evaluation of protein interactions, determination of expression patterns and, if indicated, protein activity assays. The researchers will use these results to formulate a more complete picture of molecular regulation of ovule development and of mechanisms regulating morphogenesis in general. The project spans the areas of genetics, molecular biology, developmental biology and agriculture, and leverages new concepts in sequencing and bioinformatics for rapid gene identification. The project will provide training to junior scientists and students in a research laboratory setting in genetics, plant biology and the latest methods of gene and sequence analysis. Outreach efforts will promote interest in science and scientific research among high school and middle school students at institutions with high under-represented minority enrollment.