Mechanisms of S receptor kinase signalling in brassica self-incompatibility & related pathways in arabidopsis

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The perception of internal and external signals through signal transduction is a critical cellular process for the growth and survival of plants.  In plants, receptor kinases comprise the largest group of receptors designed to detect signals, and are emerging as important regulators in plant development, growth, and reproduction as well as plant-microbe interactions and pathogen defence systems.  The focus of this grant is to study the S-Domain Receptor kinases and their signalling pathways, and to determine the cellular events regulated by these signalling proteins.  The first aspect of this research program is to study the S Receptor kinase signalling pathway and elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in the recognition and rejection of self-incompatible pollen in Brassica (canola, broccoli, and cabbage).  Plants cannot control which pollen lands on the pistil, but they have mechanisms, such as self-incompatibility, that favour fertilization by non-self pollen, and thus, prevent inbreeding. My research group has identified a novel signalling pathway regulating this process, and in this grant application, a series of experiments are proposed to continue to study how these signalling proteins lead to rejection of self-incompatible pollen.  The second aspect of this research program is to examine how widespread this unique signalling pathway is in the regulation of plant growth and development.  Functional genomics approaches will be used to define novel biological roles for related signalling gene families in the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana.  In addition, their cellular functions will be examined to unravel putative signalling pathways and cellular events regulated by these proteins. While exciting progress is emerging in this area, our overall knowledge is still limited, and in particular, little is known about receptor kinase signalling pathways.  Thus, this research is expected to generate novel and significant advancement into our understanding of how plant receptor kinases function and their importance in regulating plant growth and development.