气孔是植物与外界环境交换的重要渠道，在感知和适应外界环境变化具有重要作用。气孔作为信号转导和发育研究的良好模式系统一直是人们研究热点，但是单子叶植物气孔发育和环境信号之间的关系知之甚少。我们利用远红外热成像系统筛选得到一些与气孔反应有关的玉米突变体，其中一株突变体owl1显示气孔保卫细胞和副卫细胞发育异常，萌发后到三叶期黄化，衰老死亡。本研究利用owl1玉米突变体并结合功能基因组学技术，分析OWL1功能在转录和转录后调控的时空变化模式，以鉴定与气孔发育相关的特异基因，研究气孔发育与衰老起始和环境胁迫的关系。上述研究不仅可以回答OWL1可能是气孔应答逆境胁迫的早期感应子，而且也可揭示细胞命运、极性和细胞间信息传递调节机制。弄清环境因子与气孔发育之间的信号感受，不仅有利于逆境适应这一重要科学问题，而且对提高作物产量，保持生态及全球气候变换过程的安全，都具有非常重要的意义。

The leaf stomata is a pivotal gate controlling the exchange of CO2 and water vapor, and it plays an important role in the perception and adaptation to the changes in the external environment. Although it has always been the hot topic on the signal transduction and development of guard cells, little is known on the relationship between stomatal development and stress adaption in Gramineae. We have already identified several maize mutants related to stomatal development by using infrared thermal imaging system. One of mutants showed overly-low water loss (owl1) and abnormal stomatal development, no normal accessory cells, and leaf yellowing at a 3-leaf stage, finally senescence and death. Here using owl1 mutant and combining with functional genomic technology, we will identify how OWL1 function is transcriptionally or post-transcriptionally modulated in a spatiotemporal patterns to provide insight into the relationship between specific genes associated with stomatal development, environmental changes, and senescence initial. And also it will be very helpful for answering how OWL1 sense environmental variations and regulate the cell fate, cell polarity and intercellular communications. Understanding the signal perception between environmental factor and stomatal development, it is very important not only for elucidating the mechanism of stress adaptation, but for improving crop yields, and maintaining safety of ecosystem and global climate change.