Patterning the Female Gametophyte of Arabidopsis

雌性配子体是植物繁殖和种子生产的核心。雌性配子体（也称为胚囊）位于花的雌蕊内，包含两个雌性配子，卵细胞和中心细胞。在雄性配子体（花粉）的精子细胞受精后，两个雌性配子产生胚胎和构成种子的富含淀粉的胚乳。该项目旨在了解控制雌性配子体模式的分子机制，即它如何从单个单倍体细胞发育成包含两个雌性配子的功能七细胞生殖单位。该实验室之前的工作表明，这种机制涉及配子体产生的植物激素生长素的不同寻常的梯度。该项目将研究生长素的梯度是如何产生和维持的，以及它如何导致配子体中指定的正确细胞，以及如何控制生长素的水平以产生额外的卵细胞。所使用的方法将涉及遗传学、分子生物学和细胞生物学。这项研究将在模式植物拟南芥中进行，但预计在所有开花植物中都能发现相同的机制。从这项研究中获得的知识可以应用于作物植物，并将对农业中的繁殖和种子生产控制具有重要意义。该项目还将为本科生、研究生和博士后提供培训。

The female gametophyte is central to plant reproduction and to seed production. Located inside the pistil of the flower, the female gametophyte (also known as the embryo sac) contains two female gametes, the egg cell and central cell. After fertilization by the sperm cells of the male gametophyte (pollen), the two female gametes give rise to the embryo and starch-rich endosperm that constitute the seed. The project aims to understand the molecular mechanisms that control how the female gametophyte is patterned, i.e. how it develops from a single haploid cell to form a functional seven cell reproductive unit containing the two female gametes. Previous work from this laboratory showed that this mechanism involves an unusual gradient of a plant hormone, auxin, which is produced by the gametophyte. This project will investigate how the gradient of auxin is generated and maintained, and how it leads to the correct cells being specified within the gametophyte, and how the levels of auxin can be manipulated to make additional egg cells. The approaches used will involve genetics, molecular and cell biology. The research will be carried out in the model plant Arabidopsis, but the same mechanisms are expected to be found in all flowering plants. The knowledge gained from this research can be applied to crop plants and will be important for the control of reproduction and seed production in agriculture. The project will also provide training for participants at the undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral levels.