REU: Mechanisms of Non-random Seed Paternity in Wild Radish, Raphanus sativus

虽然大多数植物既作为种子亲本繁殖， 花粉父母，控制数量的因素的知识 在大多数情况下， 种子生产。 因为植物通常会产生更多的花粉 比种子，有一个广泛的变化的机会， 植物作为花粉供体产生种子的能力。 的 花粉粒的差异可能产生变异 萌发，花粉管生长的差异，以及差异 胚胎的生长和存活取决于 花粉 哪种机制实际上产生了花粉的差异 没有任何植物的供体成功。 这项研究将 研究产生受精差异的机制 在野生萝卜（Raphanus sativus）花粉供体中获得成功。 这项研究将包括利用花粉进行实验性杂交 不同基因型的供体，随后测量父系的 成功和审查的过程，产生这些 差异 这项工作将增加对 忽略了植物繁殖的一半，花粉的表现 捐助者。 了解控制植物的因素 繁殖对于选择持续的生产力是至关重要的 in crop作物plants植物.

Although most plants reproduce as both seed parents and pollen parents, knowledge of the factors that control the amount of plant reproduction is, in most cases, limited to understanding of seed production. Because plants generally produce more pollen than seeds, there is an opportunity for extensive variation in ability of plants, acting as pollen donors, to sire seeds. The variation may be produced by differences in pollen grain germination, differences in pollen tube growth, and differences in embryo growth and survival depending on the source of the pollen. Which mechanism actually produces differences in pollen donor success is not known for any plant. This research will examine the mechanisms that produce differences in fertilization success among pollen donors of wild radish, Raphanus sativus. The research will involve experimental crosses using pollen donors of different genotypes followed by measurement of paternal success and examination of the processes that produce those differences. This work will increase basic understanding of the neglected half of plant reproduction, performance of pollen donors. Understanding of the factors that control plant reproduction is essential to selection for continued productivity in crop plants.