Molecular Control of Vascular Meristem Initiation and Activity

植物维管系统在向所有生长器官输送水分和养分方面起着至关重要的作用。此外，维管系统的木质纤维为植物的直立生长提供机械支持。Xylary木材也构成了地球上大部分的植物生物量，并作为生物燃料生产的原料。因此，维管系统对植物的生长发育和木本植物的生物量生产具有重要意义。尽管血管系统很重要，但研究血管起始是具有挑战性的，因为血管组织被埋在其他类型的细胞层下，无法直接进行显微镜观察。维管系统起始于位于植物生长顶端下方的肋带区域。这项研究利用最近发现的基因和遗传方法，研究植物如何启动维管束，并识别调节维管细胞分裂的基因。这项研究的成果包括更好地了解血管组织的形成和血管组织中细胞增殖的调节。这个项目将研究和教育结合在一起，吸引了不太有代表性的本科生和高中生。维管系统运输水分和养分，自4.5亿年前植物物种进化以来，已经让它们成功地在各种陆地环境中定居。维管系统起始于顶端分生组织肋区，以维管束的形式组织。维管束中的形成层细胞增殖后分化为韧皮部和木质部。了解维管分生组织的启动和活动规律对植物生物学研究具有重要意义。此外，木质木材还可用作生物燃料生产的可再生原料。尽管维管组织很重要，但我们对维管分生组织的启动和活性控制的了解还存在着一个空白。该项目建立在鉴定一种新的C2H2转录因子高血管活性(HVA)的基础上，以剖析血管起始和分生组织细胞增殖的调控机制。第一个目的是用深度成像方法研究HVA在调节血管起始中的分子功能。第二个目的是阐明HVA调节维管分生组织活性的作用机制。第三个目的是通过遗传、生化和转基因研究来确定HVA在木质部细胞分化中的功能。总体而言，该项目将为茎中维管分生组织起始和形成层增殖的分子解剖奠定基础。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The plant vascular system plays essential roles in transporting water and nutrients to all growing organs. In addition, woody fibers of the vascular system provide mechanical support for plant upright growth. Xylary wood also forms the majority of plant biomass on earth and serves as feedstock for biofuel production. Therefore, the vascular system is important to plant growth and development and woody biomass production. Despite the importance of the vascular system, it is challenging to study vascular initiation because the vascular tissue is buried under layers of other cell types and inaccessible for direct microscopic observation. The vascular system is initiated from a region named the rib zone that is located below the plant growing tip. This research investigates how plants initiate vascular bundles and identifies genes that regulate vascular cell division using recently discovered genes and genetic methodologies. Outcomes of this research include a better understanding of vascular tissue formation and the regulation of cell proliferation in vascular tissues. This project integrates research and education by engaging under-represented undergraduate and high school students.The vascular system transports water and nutrients and has allowed plant species to successfully colonize various of terrestrial environments since they evolved 450 Million years ago. The vascular system initiates from the apical meristem rib zone and organizes as vascular bundles. Cambial cells from vascular bundles proliferate and then differentiate into phloem and xylem. Understanding the regulation of vascular meristem initiation and activity is of great interest to plant biology research. Further, xylary wood serves as a renewable feedstock for biofuel production. Despite the importance of vascular tissue, there is a knowledge gap in our understanding of the initiation and activity control of vascular meristem. This project builds on the identification of a novel C2H2 transcription factor High Vascular Activity (HVA) to dissect the regulatory mechanisms of vascular initiation and meristematic cell proliferation. The first aim is to investigate the molecular function of HVA in regulating vascular initiation using deep imaging approaches. The second aim is to elucidate the functional mechanism of HVA in modulating vascular meristem activity. The third aim is to determine the function of HVA in xylem cell differentiation using genetic, biochemical, and transgenic studies. Overall, this project will lay the ground for molecular dissection of vascular meristem initiation and cambial proliferation in the stem.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.