植物根系对生长环境中磷素的异质性分布具有高度的形态与生理可塑性。土壤磷素富集区能刺激根系大量增生，提高磷素吸收效率。已知生长素调控根系的生长发育，但植物根系对局部供磷的响应模式及生长素参与响应过程的机制尚不清楚。这是深入揭示植物根系对局部养分资源高效利用的关键。本申请拟通过分根系统，以玉米根系对局部供磷的响应及生长素参与调控的机制为研究主线，综合采用根系发育显微观察、高通量转录组分析、色谱-质谱联用系统分析生长素，并结合使用玉米根系突变体材料，系统研究玉米根系发育、磷吸收、及转录组对局部磷供应的响应模式；探讨生长素的含量、空间分布、来源和作用途径在调控根系生长发育应答局部供磷的关键作用；深入研究生长素信号转导途径中RUM1蛋白调控玉米根系生长发育应答局部供磷的作用机制。为揭示玉米根系对局部供磷的响应模式及生长素调控响应过程的机制，提高作物对磷资源的利用效率提供科学依据。

Root plasticity enables plants to forage for and acquire phosphorus in a heterogeneous underground environment. Banding phosphorus enhance their uptake/assimilation systems, and proliferate specifically in nutrient-rich zones. However, the mechanism of auxin-regulated root response to localized phosphate (P) is not fully understood. The present study lays emphasis on the response of maize root to localized P and regulating mechanism of auxin. Some key methods and techniques for monitoring root development, genome-wide reprogramming, auxin detection are adopted, including histology and histochemistry analysis, RNA sequencing, gas chromatography-mass spectrometer and molecular-biological techniques. The main objectives of the present study are to systematically investigate the response of root development, phosphate uptake and transcriptome to localized P regulated by systemic and local P signaling, clarify the auxin content, distribution in the roots and derivates that response to localized P, reveal the regulation of auxin biosynthesis, polar transport and signaling transduction pathway on the root development in response to localized P, estimate the function of RUM1 protein in root response to localized P. This study will provide important scientific bases to better understand the mechanism of auxin-regulated root response to localized P in maize, and thus improve P use efficiency for farmland towards high-yield and high-efficiency sustainable crop production.