Cytokinins are plant hormones that affect a diverse array of plant growth and development processes. How cytokinins mediate such a diverse array of processes remains a fundamental question in plant biology with important agricultural implications. In this project, genetic, molecular, and genomic approaches will be used to identify and characterize the critical factors that control gene expression in response to cytokinin. Computational approaches will then be used to build a network of cytokinin-regulated gene expression. These data will be incorporated into a database available through the project website (www.bio.unc.edu/research/two-component/default.htm) so that the research community can easily view and make use of the regulatory network. Results from the proposed research will benefit society through the elucidation of a critical gene network that regulates multiple traits of agronomic importance. Previous work suggests that results from the project will provide avenues to modify agriculturally relevant traits such as grain yield, energy capture and use, senescence, responses to environmental stresses, and patterns of growth and development. The proposed research will enhance the infrastructure of research and education by providing training for undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-doctoral researchers, as well as the creation and maintenance of programs aimed at fostering science education in grades K-12.
