Molecular Genetics of Arabidopsis

拟南芥分子遗传学

• 批准号: 0544915
• 负责人: Elliot Meyerowitz
• 金额: $ 60万
• 依托单位: California Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-03-01 至 2009-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0544915&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Molecular; Genetics; Arabidopsis

The above-ground parts of flowering plants arise from a few hundred cells, collectively called the shoot apical meristem, found at the tip of each shoot. How these cells divide, change their patterns of gene expression and produce plant tissues is not well understood, other than the recognition that many of the activities of meristem cells depend on messages sent between the cells. What is proposed here is a new way to study communication between the cells of the meristem by using a specialized microscope to follow the individual cells as they divide, change their patterns of gene expression, and differentiate to become stem, leaves and flowers. By simultaneously activating or inactivating the genes that make, or allow response to, cell-cell communication signals, it will be possible to discover the immediate effects of changes in the communication network on patterns of gene expression and of cell growth and division. These studies should help elucidate how cell-cell communication controls plant growth. Additionally the microscope will be used to follow the formation of new meristems in cultured plant tissue, so as to elucidate the steps that lead to organization of a new meristem. The potential impact of gaining a fundamental understanding of plant growth is a better understanding of crops and their breeding and a new understanding of principles of communication networks. Undergraduate students recruited through the Student Undergraduate Research Fellows program, a graduate student, and a postdoctoral fellow will participate in the proposed research.

开花植物的地上部分由数百个细胞组成，统称为茎尖分生组织，位于每个茎的尖端。 除了认识到分生组织细胞的许多活动取决于细胞之间发送的信息外，这些细胞如何分裂、改变其基因表达模式以及产生植物组织还不清楚。 这里提出的是一种研究分生组织细胞之间通讯的新方法，即使用专门的显微镜跟踪单个细胞的分裂、改变其基因表达模式以及分化为茎、叶和花。 通过同时激活或失活产生细胞间通讯信号或允许对细胞间通讯信号做出反应的基因，将有可能发现通讯网络的变化对基因表达以及细胞生长和分裂模式的直接影响。 这些研究应该有助于阐明细胞间通讯如何控制植物生长。 此外，显微镜还将用于跟踪培养植物组织中新分生组织的形成，从而阐明导致新分生组织组织的步骤。 对植物生长有基本了解的潜在影响是更好地了解作物及其育种以及对通信网络原理的新理解。 通过学生本科生研究员计划招募的本科生、研究生和博士后研究员将参与拟议的研究。