Award Abstract #0725968
The Vegetative Transcriptome of Arabidopsis Thaliana

NSF Org:	IOS Division of Integrative Organismal Systems
Initial Amendment Date:	December 13, 2007
Latest Amendment Date:	February 13, 2009
Award Number:	0725968
Award Instrument:	Continuing grant
Program Manager:	Thomas P. Jack IOS Division of Integrative Organismal Systems BIO Directorate for Biological Sciences
Start Date:	January 15, 2008
Expires:	December 31, 2009 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:	$929809
Investigator(s):	Scott Poethig spoethig@mail.sas.upenn.edu (Principal Investigator) Blake Meyers (Co-Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:	University of Pennsylvania Research Services Philadelphia, PA 19104 215/898-7293
NSF Program(s):	THE 2010 PROJECT, PLANT FUNGAL & MICROB DEV MECH
Field Application(s):	0000099 Other Applications NEC
Program Reference Code(s):	BIOT, 9183, 9179, 9178, 1684
Program Element Code(s):	1684, 1118

ABSTRACT

The morphology, physiology, and biochemical composition of leaves produced at different times in the development of a plant changes in a predictable fashion. Particularly dramatic changes in leaf morphology and physiology occur when a plant is induced to flower. The molecular basis for this phenomenon will be studied by performing a genome-wide analysis of gene expression in leaves at different positions on the shoot of flowering and non-flowering plants of Arabidopsis thaliana. Genes whose expression changes in accordance with the transition between juvenile and adult stages of shoot development are of particular interest, and will be identified by comparing gene expression patterns in normal plants with plants that have been "juvenilized" by the constitutive expression of miR156. mRNA abundance will be determined using the Affymetrix ATH1 microarray, whereas small RNA abundance will be determined by high-throughput sequencing-by-synthesis technology. These data will be accessible via a project-specific page at http://mpss.udel.edu/at/ and will be deposited in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) at NCBI for long-term storage and dissemination.

Broader Impacts: Leaves are the primary photosynthetic organ of a plant and are therefore the most important source of renewable energy on earth. The information obtained in this study will extend our understanding of plant gene regulatory networks and make it possible to rationally engineer leaf morphology and physiology to maximize plant performance. Importantly the project will also provide for the training of the next generation of plant scientists in cutting edge functional genomic technologies.

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