Unravelling the mysteries of the F-Box gene HAWAIIAN SKIRT and its homologs in maize
Publication Date
July 24, 2020
Creator
Abstract
A major bottleneck in crop improvement is our limited knowledge of the genetics that underpin agriculturally important traits. The Arabidopsis F-box gene HAWAIIAN SKIRT (HWS) and its homologs have received attention in this regard due to their involvement in wide-ranging aspects of plant development. However, if they are to prove useful more work is required in order to unravel exactly how they achieve this. Here, an in-depth functional assessment that focused on key developmental processes was undertaken to help further characterise HWS and its homologs in maize. A bioinformatic-based analysis identified evidence of functional divergence and equivalence amongst these genes that were then validated experimentally in part. However, attempts to determine whether the maize genes participate in the establishment of kranz anatomy and leaf morphogenesis were inconclusive. On the other hand, a separate phenotypic analysis revealed roles for HWS in regulating aspects of the vasculature but not the cuticle. Nevertheless, the ways in which this feature responded to its misexpression were not always straightforward and will require further investigation.
Item Type
ethesis
Thesis Type
PhD
Supervisors
Subjects (LC)
Associated Schools / Departments
School of Biosciences (UK)
eprints ID
61027
UoN Repository URI
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THESIS_corrected.pdf
Type
Full-text
Description
Examined
Size
25.2 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
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