Maternal control of Pisum sativum embryo development: a role for X8CD1 and X8CD2 genes encoding small cystein-rich proteins

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The dormant embryo in mature seeds of legumes and other species is dependent on the dry seed coat for structural protection and passive environmental sensing. During seed development, however, the maternal seed tissues play a much more vital and dynamic role. The legume embryo acquires oxygen, water, numerous phytohormones, and C and N assimilates through the seed coat. Although the particulars of this role have not been verified unequivocally, growing evidence demonstrates that seed coat nourishes and, to some extent, controls the development of the embryo. This project is designed to explore the role in embryo nutrition of specific novel genes expressed in the seed coat of pea and coding for small cystein-rich proteins (CRPs). Evidences from monocots suggest that CRPs are involved in the degradation of specific cell types, a process probably providing nutrients to the growing embryo. Transcript profiling and real-time (RT) qPCR will be used to characterize candidate genes. In order to elucidate their functions, transgenic loss-of-function pea plants will be generated and subjected to a comprehensive phenotypic and molecular analysis. The achieved results will provide new information regarding maternal control of dicot embryo development and its impact on seed development as a whole.