乙烯应答因子AhERF29调控花生种子发育的分子基础

Identifying the development related genes of peanut seeds can provide theoretical foundation and gene resources for breeding. The ethylene and ethylene response transcription factors (ERF) play important role in the regulation of fruit and seed development. AhERF29, a novel ERF transcription factor which is expressed in the seed and regulates the biosynthesis of ethylene and seed weight, was cloned by our research team. However, the regulation pathway was not clear to date. In this study, to elucidate the mechanism that AhERF29 influences the ethylene biosynthesis and seed development, the characteristics and the regulation function of AhERF29 will be systematically analyzed, and the target gene directly regulated by AhERF29 will be identified by the methods, such as the trancriptomics, TAIL-PCR, ChIP and EMSA. Through the implementation of the project, the molecular mechanism of AhERF29 influences the ethylene biosynthesis and seed development must be illuminated, and it will supply gene resources and theoretical basis to the high yield breeding of peanut.

挖掘参与花生种子发育的基因可为高产育种提供理论基础和基因资源，乙烯及乙烯应答（ERF）因子在果实及种子发育中起重要的调控作用。本项目组从花生中克隆到的AhERF29是一个主要在种子中表达并参与调控乙烯合成和种子重量的新的ERF类转录因子，但目前其调控乙烯合成和种子发育的途径尚不清楚。本项目拟系统分析AhERF29的基本特性、明确AhERF29调控花生乙烯合成和种子发育的功能，并采用转录组、TAIL-PCR、ChIP结合EMSA的方法，筛选和鉴定AhERF29调控花生乙烯合成和种子发育的直接靶标基因，以阐述AhERF29影响花生乙烯合成和种子发育的作用机制。本项目的实施将阐明AhERF29调控植物乙烯合成和种子发育的分子基础，为花生高产育种提供基因资源和理论依据。

本研究按照项目申请研究内容进行，我们发现花生中AhERF29 在花生种子中特异表达。从花生基因组DNA克隆AhERF29基因并转化花生，发现AhERF29通过影响花生乙烯的生物合成进而调控种子发育。分析还发现AhERF29 能够直接结合花生乙烯合成途径中两个关键基因ACO和ACS启动子区域的ERE顺式作用元件，增强这两个基因的表达并影响乙烯释放。通过对转基因材料的转录组研究还发现AhERF29亦参与调控苯丙烷代谢途径中一系列基因的表达，导致转基因花生材料荚壳的木质化进程滞后。本研究证明AhERF29通过对乙烯合成途径的直接调控，影响乙烯的释放，进而调节荚壳的木质化进程最终影响花生荚果和种子发育。本研究培养研究生2名；相关研究结果在Frontiers in Plant Science上发表论文1篇。