The Role of Symmetry Genes in Establishing Petal and Stamen Phenotypic Diversity

对称基因在建立花瓣和雄蕊表型多样性中的作用

• 批准号: 0616025
• 负责人: Lena Hileman
• 金额: $ 48.73万
• 依托单位: University of Kansas Center for Research Inc
• 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: 2006-09-01 至 2010-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0616025&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Role; Symmetry; Genes; Establishing; Petal

Diversity in floral morphology is astounding, yet very little is known about how changes in developmental genetic patterning give rise to differences in floral form. Floral diversification can occur rapidly and this is likely due to selective pressures imposed through plant-pollinator interactions. Therefore, investigating the evolution of developmental genetic pathways among closely related plant species that exhibit differences in floral form will be highly productive in determining how changes in gene expression, protein function and genetic interactions give rise to morphological differences between species. In the model plant species snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus), a set of genes and genetic interactions have been identified that are necessary for the proper establishment of bilateral flower symmetry. The proposed research will utilize both gene expression assays and analyses of protein function, through gene silencing strategies, to specifically addresses how the genetic network establishing bilateral flower symmetry has diversified among closely related species of snapdragon. In addition, the proposed research will provide insight into how genetic changes in this developmental network have contributed to the evolution of novel floral morphologies observed among species closely related to snapdragon. These studies will help elucidate the underlying genetic changes that are responsible for the evolution of plant form. Such findings can have important agronomic implications, such as the development of improved crop species, as well as a significant impact on our general understanding of how morphological diversity arises over evolutionary time. The proposed research is highly inter-disciplinary, and will therefore offer an exceptional opportunity for training a postdoctoral researcher, graduate students and undergraduate students at the interface of traditional plant morphology, plant molecular developmental genetics and molecular evolution. In addition, this project will enhance the quality of research at the University of Kansas and will include the participation of under-represented groups.

花形态的多样性令人震惊，但人们对发育遗传模式的变化如何引起花形态的差异知之甚少。 花卉多样化可以迅速发生，这可能是由于植物与传粉媒介相互作用施加的选择压力。 因此，研究表现出花形差异的密切相关植物物种之间发育遗传途径的进化，对于确定基因表达、蛋白质功能和遗传相互作用的变化如何引起物种之间的形态差异将非常有效。在模型植物金鱼草（Antirhinum majus）中，已经确定了一组基因和遗传相互作用，它们对于正确建立双边花对称性是必需的。 拟议的研究将利用基因表达测定和蛋白质功能分析，通过基因沉默策略，专门解决建立双边花对称性的遗传网络如何在密切相关的金鱼草物种中多样化。 此外，拟议的研究将深入了解该发育网络中的遗传变化如何促进在与金鱼草密切相关的物种中观察到的新型花卉形态的进化。 这些研究将有助于阐明导致植物形态进化的潜在遗传变化。 这些发现可能具有重要的农艺意义，例如改良作物品种的开发，并对我们对形态多样性在进化过程中如何产生的一般理解产生重大影响。 拟议的研究是高度跨学科的，因此将为在传统植物形态、植物分子发育遗传学和分子进化的界面上培训博士后研究员、研究生和本科生提供难得的机会。此外，该项目将提高堪萨斯大学的研究质量，并将包括代表性不足的群体的参与。