Molecular Genetics of Fertilization in Arabidopsis

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Cell-cell recognition is a fundamental biological process which underlies many critical developmental events. An example of a process which relies heavily on cell-cell interactions is fertilization in higher plants. The research described in this proposal is designed to contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms which are involved in these cell-cell interactions, as well as to increase our knowledge of how these interactions act to regulate the fertilization process. A genetic approach will be used to identify mutations in Arabidopsis thaliana which disrupt the process of fertilization and these mutations will be characterized to determine which are involved in cell-cell interactions. The genes identified by the mutations will be cloned using a combination of RFLP mapping and "chromosome walking". The cloned genes will then be used to characterized the expression patterns and products of the genes. In a parallel project, a small family of Arabidopsis genes showing sequence similarity to those involved in self-recognition during fertilization in Brassica oleracea will be characterized to determine if any members of the family play a role in other recognition events during fertilization. By identifying and characterizing gene products which are part of the interaction process we will learn about the molecular mechanisms of these interactions.