The Role of Pollen Extensin Chimeras in Pollen-Pistil Interactions

0091976 Bedinger在高等植物中，雄性花粉中的精子通过生长中的花粉管被运送到雌性雌蕊中的卵子。为了使受精作用发生，在相容的物种之间必须有非常特异的花粉雌蕊识别。 这项工作的重点是花粉管中被称为Pex蛋白的蛋白质。 Pex蛋白的结构和位置表明它们是识别分子。 一系列遗传和分子生物学实验 将检验是否如此。这些研究将在两个方面对改良作物品种的发展产生影响。 首先，我们必须了解植物生殖障碍的性质，因为对转基因作物与邻近植物物种异花授粉的合理担忧。第二，未来的实验将集中在操纵Pex蛋白质，以选择性地绕过植物物种之间的生殖障碍，从而引入所需的性状，例如从野生物种引入驯化物种。

0091976BedingerIn higher plants, the sperm in the male pollen are delivered to the egg in the female pistil via a growing pollen tube. For fertilization to occur, there must be very specific pollen-pistil recognition between compatible species. The work focuses on proteins in the pollen tube called Pex proteins. The structure and location of the Pex proteins suggest that they are recognition molecules. A series of genetic and molecular biology experiments will test whether or not this is the case. These studies will have an impact on the development of improved crop species in two ways. First, it is imperative that we understand the nature of reproductive barriers in plants because of valid concerns about cross pollination of genetically engineered crop plants with neighboring plant species. Second, future experiments will focus on manipulating Pex proteins to selectively circumvent reproductive barriers between plant species in order to introduce desirable traits, for example from wild species into domesticated species.