Husker research to explore the emergence of specialized body parts, plants
In both plants and animals, the emergence of new specialized body parts, such as floral organs in plants or the multiple specialized types of teeth found in heterodont animals, is a rare process.
Generally these specialized organs appear to originate as specialized versions of existing organs, yet their specialization requires a separation in regulation between different copies of the same organ.
The research could explain why the emergence of new, specialized body parts is so rare. Most apparent links between whole genome duplication and an increase in separately defined body parts, such as the 4-footed animal or flowering plants, occurred hundreds of millions of years ago.
This research is focused on corn, as it produces two specialized flower heads for male and female reproduction, while all other related plants only produce a single kind of head. Researchers will test the link between a whole genome duplication in the corn lineage and the evolution of its distinct flowering heads.
Research in this area also has the potential to guide the development of new engineered varieties of crop plants with multiple specialized leaf types. Engineering leaves high in the canopy to have fewer chloroplasts, would allow light to penetrate deeper leaves where lower wind speeds and higher humidity reduce the transpirational water cost of photosynthesis.
The research project will provide valuable training on conducting science at the intersection of genomics, genetics and phenomics to multiple graduate and undergraduate students.
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