隐花色素是生物中一类广泛存在的蓝光受体，对光响应调控具有重要作用。申请人多年来围绕植物隐花色素介导的光信号转导途径开展研究。主要鉴定了首个与隐花色素CRY1在蓝光下特异发生互作的蛋白因子SPA1，阐明了蓝光信号转导的CRY1-SPA1通路；发现了大豆隐花色素 GmCRY2调控叶片衰老的新功能，初步揭示了其介导光信号调控大豆叶片衰老的分子机制。以通讯作者发表Plant Cell、Molecular Plant、Journal of Experimental Botany，以第一作者发表Gene and Development、Plant Cell、Current Opinion in Plant Biology、Plant Physiology等论文，受到国际同行的广泛关注。本项目拟在前期工作基础上，利用分子遗传和生化手段，探索隐花色素及其互作蛋白调控大豆叶片衰老的光信号转导网络。

Cryptochromes are the photolyase-related blue light receptors that regulate light responses and the circadian clock in all major evolutionary lineages, from microbials to plants and animals. The biological function of cryptochromes in mediating light signal transduction in plant is currently a major focus of our research. So far we have identified SPA1 interacting with CRY1 in a blue-light dependent manner and established the CRY1-SPA1 module as the major component of the blue light signal transduction pathway. Moreover, we discovered a novel function of GmCRY2 in the regulation of leaf senescence in soybean which is a world-wide staple crop. Our studies have resulted in prominent academic impacts with the publications in the major international journals such as Gene and Development, Plant Cell, Current Biology, Current Opinion in Plant Biology, Molecular Plant etc. And on this basis, we will further explore the light signal transduction pathways in soybean and answer the question of how GmCRYs as well as their interacting partners regulate leaf senescence in response to light.

大豆是我国主要的植物蛋白和油份来源，近年来我国对大豆进口依存度已超过80%，严重威胁到我国粮食安全。大豆的生长发育对光环境极其敏感，导致大豆品种的种植适应区域狭窄。隐花色素是生物中广泛存在的一类具有重要调控作用的蓝光受体，但在大豆中的生物学功能尚不清楚。本研究通过遗传转化获得了7个大豆隐花色素GmCRYs基因的过表达株系和CRISPR定点敲除突变体，表型分析发现这些隐花素基因在调控株高、避荫反应、叶片衰老、开花时间等方面具有重要和特异的生物学功能。通过比较上述材料的转录组差异，筛选了下游靶基因，初步解析了大豆隐花素介导的蓝光信号转导网络。对GmCRY1b过表达株系进行了转基因中间试验，该材料在遮荫条件下表现显著的抗倒伏和高产效应，显示对培育适合密植或间套作的高产大豆新品种具有重要的育种价值。