红花玉兰（Magnolia wufengensis ）是木兰科（Magnoliaceae）木兰属（Magnolia）少数具多瓣性状的原始种，仅湖北五峰有野生分布。项目组研究红花玉兰花型调控发现：MawuAGL6_1和MawuAGL6_2是红花玉兰AGL6同源基因，功能分析表明，MawuAGL6_1仅参与调控红花玉兰花被发育；而异位表达的MawuAGL6_2 使拟南芥ap1突变体花萼恢复的同时，还参与花器官数量调控。本项目拟从分析二者转录调控差异入手，系统研究MawuAGL6_1与MawuAGL6_2基因在红花玉兰花被发育调控中的功能，及其协同其他花器官特征决定基因调控不同瓣数红花玉兰花被发育的分子网络。解析MawuAGL6_1和MawuAGL6_2基因参与调控红化玉兰花被发育的分子机制。为探索木兰属植物的起源与花型演化积累资料，并对木兰科观赏花木的花型改良与种质创新提供新的基因资源。

Magnolia wufengensis, only found in southwestern Hubei Province, China, belonging to the family Magnoliaceae, an early-diverging clade from ancestral angiosperms. The flowers of M. wufengensis have multiple morphologically identical petaloid tepals instead of distinct sepals and petals, which exhibits a considerable difference from Arabidopsis and other core eudicots. The extreme variation of flower morphologies and the wealth of floral mutants available, has made it an excellent model for discovering the floral development and evolution. Our study revealed that MawuAGL6_1 and MawuAGL6_2 worked together to specifying tepals identity in M. wufengensis. Both genes are AGL6 homologs and encode MADS-box transcription factors. Moreover, Functional analyses displayed that obviously functional divergence within MawuAGL6_1 and MawuAGL6_2. During flower development, MawuAGL6_1 is involved only in the development of petaloid tepals in M. wufengensis. However, ectopic expression of MawuAGL6_2 rescued sepal development in an Arabidopsis ap1 mutant, and produced 1 to 2 extra flowers instead of petals. In combination of various methods and techniques, the proposal aims to document how the MawuAGL6_1 and MawuAGL6_2 gene work together to specify tepal differentiation in M. wufengensis, and uncover the difference of upstream genes regulating the transcription of the both genes. The molecular mechanisms involving in tepal development of these genes working together with other floral organ identity genes are also discussed. These results should provide valuable information to understand the flower evolution in the family Magnoliaceae. Moreover, it should also provide candidate genes for genetic improvement in ornamental tree.