Transkriptionsanalyse einzelner isolierter Zellen zur Identifizierung von Genen, die während wichtiger Schritte der Entwicklung des weiblichen Gametophyten der Modelpflanze Arabidopsis eine Rolle spielen

繁殖是所有物种生命周期中的关键一步。在植物中，通过种子的繁殖涉及由大量基因控制的明确定义的发育步骤和许多离散的分化事件的进展。雌性有性生殖过程中的关键事件是：（i）大孢子发生，包括大孢子母细胞（MMC）的减数分裂以产生功能性大孢子，（ii）巨配子发生是从功能性大孢子形成携带两个配子（卵细胞和双核中央细胞）的雌性配子体（胚囊），以及（iii）双受精，在此期间雌性和雄性配子融合。虽然雌配子体的结构和发育已经吸引了科学家们的注意超过一个世纪（例如Strasburger，1879），胚囊形成的遗传和分子基础在很大程度上是未知的。到目前为止，只有少数参与有性生殖的基因被分离和研究，该项目的目标是确定在拟南芥大孢子发生和大配子发生的重要单细胞中表达的基因。为此，将分析MMC和功能大孢子的转录组。对植物繁殖具有假定重要性的候选基因的作用将进一步研究，例如通过分析T-DNA插入系或筛选相互作用伴侣。该研究将有助于我们对胚囊发育和植物生殖的分子机制的理解。

Reproduction is a crucial step in the life cycle of all species. In plants, reproduction through seeds involves the progression of well-defined developmental steps and many discrete differentiation events controlled by a large number of genes. Key events during female sexual reproduction are: (i) megasporogenesis involving meiosis of a megaspore mother cell (MMC) to give rise to the functional megaspore, (ii) megagametogenesis being the formation of the female gametophyte (embryo sac) harboring the two gametes (the egg cell and the bi-nucleate central cell) from the functional megaspore, and (iii) double fertilization during which the female and male gametes fuse. Although structure and development of the female gametophyte has attracted the attention of scientists for more than a century (e.g. Strasburger, 1879), the genetic and molecular basis underlying embryo sac formation is largely unknown. So far, only a small number of genes involved in sexual reproduction have been isolated and investigated.The goal of the proposed project is to identify genes expressed in single cells important for megasporogenesis and megagametogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana. To this aim the transcriptomes of MMC and functional megaspores will be analyzed. The role of candidate genes of putative importance for plant reproduction will further be investigated, e.g. by analysis of T-DNA insertion lines or screens for interaction partners. This project will significantly contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanism controlling embryo sac development and plant reproduction.