Signaling cascades involved in sexual plant reproduction from pollen tube guidance to fetilization and embryogenesis

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One ever-fascinating story is how fertilization activates the emergence of a new generation and how cellular signaling pervades every single aspect of plant development. Using a wide variety of experimental approaches, encompassing cell biology, biochemistry, molecular genetics, genomics and proteomics, our research effort focuses on deciphering the role of protein kinase cascades in plant reproductive development. Working with a solanaceous species as well as with the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana, we are studying the involvement of a phylogenetically related small three members MAPKKK family. These MAPKKK are involved in various aspects of both male and female reproductive development, including ovule integument and embryo sac development. One side effect of mutations in these genes is the reduction or absence of pollen tube guidance towards the ovules, which is also the subject of intense studies. Besides from the fundamental knowledge to be gained on how these subtle and interconnected signaling networks act on organ development and sexual reproduction, the proposed work also have direct relevance towards agronomical goals, including parthenocarpy as well as widening gene pools through more efficient hybridization of phylogenetically close species.