Determining the evolutionary developmental consequences of gene duplications in the SPL family of transcription factors

确定转录因子 SPL 家族中基因重复的进化发育后果

• 批准号: 1051886
• 负责人: Lena Hileman
• 金额: $ 24万
• 依托单位: University of Kansas Center for Research Inc
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-02-01 至 2013-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1051886&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Determining; evolutionary; developmental; consequences; gene

The transition from vegetative development to the production of flowers is critical to plant fitness. Flowering time, and the extent of branching along the flowering axis will impact fruit and seed production, including production in agriculturally important plant species. Recent work has demonstrated that a family of transcription factor proteins (called SQUAMOSA-PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN LIKE, or SPL) regulates the development of diverse ecologically and economically important traits including the developmental transition to flowering, determining the extent of branching along the flowering axis, and fruit ripening. Interestingly, due to historical duplication events, multiple SPL gene copies are found in the genome of many flowering plant species, and there is evidence that these SPL copies have evolved specialized functions. This project will use genetic approaches to determine how duplicated SPL genes function in three divergent plant species to affect the development of critical plant traits including transition to flowering and branching architecture. In addition, this project will investigate how SPL proteins regulate, or are regulated by, other proteins known to affect flowering time and branching along the flowering axis. Placed in an evolutionary context the results will provide critical insight into how duplicated genes can partition and optimize function, or evolve novel function. These functional changes can lead to trait diversification as well as diversification and specialization within the complex developmental genetic pathways that determine fitness. This project will provide training to a postdoctoral researcher and undergraduate students, including students from groups traditionally underrepresented in the sciences. Training will advance the scientific expertise of the postdoctoral researcher and students at the interface of developmental genetics and evolution, aiding these individuals in moving forward to successful research and teaching careers. This project will facilitate outreach to regional 6-12th grade teachers, helping to bring inquiry-based scientific learning to the classroom.

从营养发展到花的生产对于植物健身至关重要。 开花时间以及沿开花轴的分支的程度将影响果实和种子的生产，包括在农业重要的植物物种中产生。 最近的工作表明，转录因子蛋白家族（称为Squamosa促启动子结合蛋白类似或SPL）调节了各种生态和经济上重要的特征的发展，包括发育过渡到开花，确定了沿开花轴和水果成熟的分支的程度。 有趣的是，由于历史复制事件，在许多开花植物物种的基因组中发现了多个SPL基因副本，并且有证据表明这些SPL副本已经发展了专业功能。 该项目将采用遗传方法来确定复制的SPL基因在三种不同植物物种中如何发挥作用，以影响关键植物特征的发展，包括过渡到开花和分支结构。 此外，该项目将研究SPL蛋白如何调节或受其他已知影响开花时间和沿开花轴分支的蛋白质调节。 放置在进化环境中，结果将提供有关重复基因如何分配和优化功能或发展新功能的重要见解。这些功能变化可以导致性状多样化以及决定适应性的复杂发展遗传途径的多样化和专业化。 该项目将为博士后研究人员和本科生提供培训，包括传统上在科学中人数不足的团体的学生。 培训将在发育遗传学和进化的界面上推进博士后研究人员和学生的科学专业知识，从而帮助这些人向成功的研究和教学职业发展。 该项目将促进向地区6至12年级的教师推广，从而帮助将基于询问的科学学习带到课堂上。