花序结构和花的数目是影响农作物单产的直接因素之一。花序可分为无限花序和有限花序。目前，对无限花序和有限花序发育差异及花序结构多样化的分子调控机理仍然缺乏了解。番茄每一花序的花数一般为5-8朵，多的20余朵。在前期研究中，克隆到一个调控番茄花序发育的关键基因SlEBI，沉默该基因导致番茄花序极度分支，每台花序着花数可多达350朵。研究表明SlEBI可调控AN、SFT、FA等花序发育相关基因的表达，是花序发育中较早的调控因子。本项目拟培育SlEBI超表达番茄株系，结合已获得的沉默株系，深入研究SlEBI基因对番茄花序发育的影响，明确该基因的生物学功能，阐明番茄SlEBI调控花序分化发育的作用机理；并将SlEBI的转基因材料与其他番茄花序发育突变体进行杂交，分析SlEBI与其他花序发育调控因子的上下游关系，建立番茄花序分化发育的调控网络。本项目对阐明花序发育的分子调控机制具有十分重要的理论意义。

Plant reproductive success and agricultural productivity are highly determined by the variable branch and flower number of inflorescence, however molecular mechanisms underlying inflorescence development are still poorly understood. The wild type tomato AC++ produces usually 5–8, most up to 20, opened flowers per inflorescence. We cloned a novel inflorescence development-related MADS-box gene SlEBI from tomato. Silencing of SlEBI resulted in extreme branched inflorescences with hundreds of flowers in tomato. Inflorescence-related genes ANANTHA (AN) and PISTILLATE (PI) were dramatically down-regulated in SlEBI-silenced lines, While FALSIFLORA (FA) was slightly down-regulated and SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS (SFT) was up-regulated in SlEBI-silenced lines. In this study, we'll construct the vector of SlEBI overexpression, transform wild type tomato AC++ and get overexpressed transgenic plants. Then the phenotypes related to inflorescence development will be analyzed to illuminate the function of SlEBI. The new inflorescence-related genes which are regulated by SlEBI will be cloned with RNA-Seq and yeast two-hybrid system to illuminate the mechanism of regulation of SlEBI on the inflorescence development in tomato. Set up the regulatory networks of the inflorescence development in tomato by crossing SlEBI-silenced transgenic plants with other tomato inflorescence mutants. The research work will shed more light on molecular mechanism in the development regulation of both definite inflorescence and indefinite inflorescence.