Functional roles of FERONIA, LORELEI and relative proteins in regulating pollen-pistil interaction

花粉-雌蕊互作是指开花植物中大量的雄(花粉)和雌蕊(雌蕊)相互作用，共同导致种子产生。受精依赖于雌蕊内花粉管的生长，以便将精子传递到雌配子体，即卵细胞所在的雌配子体。当穿透雌配子体时，花粉管破裂释放精子，使受精成为可能，同时晚到的花粉管被阻止进入已经拜访过的雌性。这个项目的目标是揭示这些有趣的男性和女性互动过程背后的奥秘。该项目利用了优秀的植物模型系统拟南芥，特别是两个已经表征了蛋白质缺陷的突变体，分别是费洛尼亚(罗马的生育和丰饶女神)[FER]和Lorelei(LRE)(引诱水手沉船的日耳曼美人鱼)。这些蛋白质的丢失会导致多个花粉管被引诱进入突变的雌性体内，但这些花粉管不会破裂，而是继续在雌性体内游荡生长，不会排出精子，导致无法产生种子的无菌相互作用。这个项目结合了分子遗传学、生物化学和细胞生物学的方法，以确定FER和LRE如何共同产生能够调解富有成效的男女相遇的雌性环境。所获得的知识将解释植物产生种子的主要步骤，并将有助于制定战略，以确定植物物种的保存和多样性，并确保地球-S的主要食物来源-种子的生产。因此，该项目将显著服务于公众？S的利益。更广泛的影响。通过提供博士和博士后培训，该项目为未来的科学领袖做准备。该项目的一部分旨在为本科生提供研究经验，从而在早期阶段为未来的科学家拓宽渠道。在更基本的层面上，该项目还将为高中教师创造实践实验的机会，以扩展/更新他们的课堂和实验室资源。

Pollen-pistil interaction is a general term referring to a large number of male (pollen) and female (pistil) interactive events in flowering plants that together lead to seed production. Fertilization depends on growth of the pollen tube within the pistil to deliver sperm, which the pollen tube carries as cargo in its cytoplasm, to the female apparatus, known as the female gametophyte, where the egg cell resides. Upon penetrating the female gametophyte, the pollen tube bursts discharging sperm, enabling fertilization while late-arriving tubes are prevented from entering the already-visited female. The goal of this project is to reveal the mystery behind how these intriguing male-female interactive processes are accomplished. This project takes advantage of the excellent plant model system Arabidopsis, in particular two already characterized mutants defective in the proteins called FERONIA (a Roman goddess of fertility and abundance) [FER] and LORELEI (LRE) (the Germanic mermaid who lured sailors to shipwreck). Loss of these proteins results in multiple pollen tubes being lured into the mutant female, but instead of bursting these pollen tubes continue to grow on a wandering journey inside the female, not discharging their sperm, resulting in a sterile interaction incapable of producing seeds. This project combines molecular genetics, biochemical and cell biological approaches to determine how FER and LRE together generate the female environment capable of mediating a productive male-female encounter. The knowledge obtained will explain a major step used by a plant to produce seeds and will help development of strategies to ascertain preservation and diversification of plant species and ensure production of earth?s major food source, seeds. The project will therefore significantly serve the public?s interests. Broader impact. By providing training at the doctoral and postdoctoral, this project prepares future leaders in science. Parts of this project are designed to provide research experience to undergraduates, thus broadening the pipeline for future scientists at an early stage. On an even more fundamental level, the project will also create opportunities for hands-on experimentation for high school teachers to extend/renew their classroom and laboratory resources.