Harley Smith - US grants

In plants, the shoot apical meristem (SAM) is responsible for the continuous production of shoot-derived organs throughout plant development. Understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms that are involved in SAM function are crucial questions in plant development. KNOTTED1 (KN1) is a homeodomain protein that is required for SAM function in maize. The goal of the proposed research is to identify maize genes that are regulated by KN1 and characterize their role in SAM function. In addition, I also propose to characterize the function of kn1-like genes that have similar gain of function phenotypes and expression patterns as kn1, by examining the phenotypes of single and double recessive mutations. Through the proposed research, I will gain significant insight into molecular and genetic approaches for the study of plant development which will compliment my strength in biochemistry and cellular biology.

A central goal for plant breeders is to increase crop efficiency and yields. Many of the agricultural foods and products used by people are produced as a result of developmental processes that occur during flowering. Specifying flowers involves the integration of environmental and internal floral promoting cues at the apex of the growing shoot. To date, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that integrate the floral inductive cues that specify flowers. The intellectual merit of this proposed research is to understand how the shoot apex produces flowers in response to environmental and hormonal cues. Biochemical and proteomic approaches are being utilized to identify and characterize a key homeodomain transcriptional complex, which integrates floral inductive cues at the shoot apex to specify flowers during reproductive development. Insights into molecular mechanisms that specify flowers will lead to a better understanding of how the shoot apex responds to environmental signals. This is especially important for sessile organisms, such as plants, that must coordinate developmental processes with environment conditions. The long-term goal of this research is to provide the necessary framework for breeders to regulate flowering in crops (as well as in horticultural plants) and thereby to improve efficiency and enhance yields. The knowledge gleaned from this research can also be applied to induce early flowering in agronomical trees to promote efficient breeding programs used for biomass production. Underrepresented minority students will participate in this research project and will gain research experience and scientific training. This training will facilitate recruitment of underrepresented students into research programs in plant biology. This outreach program will also help underrepresented students transition from two year degree-granting institutions to the University of California, Riverside.

Patricia S Springer
Proposal # 0841307

Plants exhibit a wide range of morphological diversity and many morphological traits in plants are agronomically important. For example leaves, the primary photosynthetic structure in plants, exhibit tremendous variation in shape and size. The field of evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) aims to understand how the developmental processes that control morphology have evolved. In the past few years, there have been extraordinary advances in this emerging field. Evo-devo studies extend the wealth of knowledge about developmental mechanisms in model plants to more distantly related plants, including crop plants, in order to understand how evolutionary events give rise to distinct morphologies and structures. Studies in evo-devo are beginning to uncover a greater understanding about the evolution of key morphological traits that can aid in enhancing crop productivity and yield. This proposal is for partial funding for the 25th Symposium in Plant Biology at the University of California, Riverside, "The Evolution of Plant Development", which will be held January 29 to 31, 2009. The aim of this conference is to bring together scientists using a wide range of approaches and at all career stages including undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, and principal investigators, in order to provide a forum for sharing and discussing recent findings in the field of plant evo-devo. Each scientific session will include presentations from established scientists and early career scientists. Poster sessions will allow additional opportunities for scientific interactions. Ultimately, the synergism created at this meeting will stimulate plant evo-devo research and help to promote a comprehensive understanding of plant evolution and development.