Cis-element conservation and divergence in plant reproductive development

大多数农产品都是从开花植物的果实中提取的，比如大米和玉米。由于果实源于花朵，作物改良需要对花朵和果实的发育有详细的了解。对参比物种（如Antirrhinum或Arabidopsis）的研究已经揭示了控制花和果实发育关键步骤的基因。这些基因编码转录因子，这些转录因子调节在其调控区域内含有特定DNA序列的其他基因。据信，这些调控序列的变异及其与关键转录因子的相互作用在进化和植物驯化过程中产生花和果实发育的变化中发挥了重要作用。我们的目标是了解转录因子网络及其靶调控序列如何控制花和果实的发育，这些网络在物种之间如何变化，并探索这些变化的实际应用。我们将重点关注一组关键的调控基因，最初在拟南芥中发现。其中之一是WUSCHEL (WUS)，它控制维持所有新植物器官发育的干细胞群。在花器官发生过程中，WUS通过AGAMOUS （AG）和SEEDSTICK （STK）的作用受到抑制。AG在决定雄蕊和心皮的形成中起关键作用，而STK则引导胚珠的发育。在AG的控制下，另一组基因控制着心皮内的细胞分化，包括一些物种最终允许果实开放和释放种子的结构的发育。该网络包括SHATTERPROOF （SHP）、卓有成效（FUL）、JAGGED （JAG）和REPLUMLESS （RPL）。我们将首先使用拟南芥来填补我们对这些基因在发育过程中如何相互调节和其他靶基因的知识空白。该项目的每个欧洲合作伙伴将专注于上述基因的一个子集。在所有情况下，我们将首先确定由这些基因编码的转录因子在体内靶向的调控序列。然后，我们将验证这些目标序列是否在物种之间是保守的，并测试它们对包含它们的基因表达的重要性。然后，我们将检查调节序列的变化是否可以解释跨物种的一些发育差异。在我们的案例中，我们将检查SHP、FUL、JAG和RPL调控的变化是否与拟南芥和油菜籽果实发育的差异有关。在此基础上，我们将有针对性地筛选可能改变油菜籽果实发育的调控序列的变化，以用于实际应用，特别是减少果实过早开放造成的种子损失。

Most agricultural products are derived from fruits of flowering plants, such as rice and corn. Since fruits originate from flowers, crop improvement requires a detailed understanding of flower and fruit development. Research on reference species, such as Antirrhinum or Arabidopsis, has revealed genes that control key steps in the development of flowers and fruits. These genes encode transcription factors, which regulate other genes that contain specific DNA sequences within their regulatory regions. It is believed that variation in these regulatory sequences and in their interaction with key transcription factors have played a major role in creating the changes in flower and fruit development seen during evolution and in plant domestication. We aim to understand how networks of transcription factors and their target regulatory sequences control flower and fruit development, how these networks vary between species, and explore these variations for practical use. We will focus on a key set of regulatory genes, originally identified in Arabidopsis. One of them is WUSCHEL (WUS), which controls the stem cell population that sustains development of all new plant organs. During floral organogenesis, WUS is repressed through the action of AGAMOUS (AG) and SEEDSTICK (STK). AG goes on to play a key role in specifying stamen and carpel identity, while STK guides ovule development. Under the control of AG, a further set of genes controls cell differentiation within the carpels, including the development of structures that in some species eventually allow the fruits to open and release seeds. This network includes SHATTERPROOF (SHP), FRUITFUL (FUL), JAGGED (JAG) and REPLUMLESS (RPL). We will initially use Arabidopsis to fill gaps in our knowledge of how these genes regulate each other and additional target genes during development. Each of the European partners in this project will focus on a subset of the genes mentioned above. In all cases, we will first identify the regulatory sequences that are targeted in vivo by the transcription factors encoded by these genes. We will then verify whether these target sequences are conserved across species and test their importance for the expression of the genes that contain them. We will then check whether variations in regulatory sequences can explain some of the developmental differences seen across species. In our case, we will check whether changes in the regulation of SHP, FUL, JAG and RPL are involved in the differences in fruit development between Arabidopsis and rapeseed. Based on the results, we will then perform a targeted screen for changes in regulatory sequences that may alter rapeseed fruit development for practical use, specifically, to reduce seed loss due to premature opening of the fruit.