RoL: Closing the Gap between the Genotype and Phenotype by Elucidating Cellular Dynamics of Endosperm Development

开花植物的种子不仅具有重要的农业意义，而且是研究发育过程中独特的细胞过程和组织间复杂通讯的良好系统。种子由胚、胚乳和种皮组成，这些组织相互沟通，决定最终种子的大小。早期胚乳发育的持续时间与最终种子的大小密切相关；然而，目前还不清楚种子在这个早期阶段究竟发生了什么。Kawashima实验室已经确定，对早期胚乳细胞动力学的操纵导致了最终种子大小的不同。利用拟南芥的活细胞成像、遗传学和生化方法，本项目旨在了解早期胚乳发育与随后的种子表型（如种子大小）之间的关系。该项目通过为STEM学生提供实验室研究经验，为非STEM学生提供接触植物生物技术的机会，从而吸引学生对科学的兴趣。Kawashima实验室建立了实时成像的胚乳系统，并在开花植物拟南芥（Arabidopsis thaliana）的幼胚胚乳中发现丝状肌动蛋白（F-actin）在胚乳发育和种子大小中发挥作用。该项目的目标是：(i)研究f -肌动蛋白如何参与共胞胚乳的发育，（ii）表征胚乳特异性ii类双胍在f -肌动蛋白组织中的功能，以及（iii）研究先前鉴定的突变/转基因系的胚乳分子和细胞动力学，这些系显示胚乳发育过程中种子大小的变化。实时成像系统不仅将用于解决上述目标，而且还将用于遗传学，基因组学和生化方法。这个项目将提供关于胚乳基因型、空心细胞中的细胞动力学和表型（胚乳发育本身以及最终种子大小）如何联系在一起形成种子的线索。这些见解将成为进一步了解植物的复杂隔间如何协同工作以协调种子发育和更大的作物种子以获得更高产量以维持我们的世界的基础。该项目由综合生物系统、分子和细胞生物科学以及生命规则共同资助。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Seeds of flowering plants are not only important from an agricultural point of view but are also an excellent system to investigate unique cellular processes and complex communications among tissues during development. The seed comprises the embryo, endosperm, and seed coat, and these tissues communicate with each other to determine the final seed size. The duration of the early-stage endosperm development is strongly associated with the final seed size; however, it is still not clear what exactly is happening in the seed at this early stage. The Kawashima lab has identified that manipulation of cellular dynamics of the early-stage endosperm results in diverse final seed sizes. Using live-cell imaging, genetics, and biochemical approaches in Arabidopsis thaliana, this project aims to understand the relationship between the early-stage endosperm development and subsequent seed phenotypes, such as seed size. This project engages student in science by providing STEM students with lab research experiences and non-STEM students with opportunities to be exposed to plant biotechnology. The Kawashima lab established the live-imaging endosperm system and identified that filamentous actin (F-actin) in the coenocytic endosperm of the flowering plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, plays a role in endosperm development, as well as, seed size. The objectives of this project are to: (i) investigate how F-actin is involved in coenocytic endosperm development, (ii) characterize the function of an endosperm-specific class II formin in F-actin organization, and (iii) investigate endosperm molecular and cellular dynamics of previously identified mutant/transgenic lines that show seed size change through endosperm development. Not only will the live-imaging system be utilized to address the objectives mentioned above, but also genetics, genomics, and biochemical approaches. This project will provide clues about how endosperm genotypes, cellular dynamics in the coenocyte, and the phenotypes (endosperm development itself as well as the final seed size) link together to form a seed. These insights will be a foundation to developing further knowledge of how the complex compartments of plants work together to orchestrate seed development and larger crop seeds for higher yield to sustain our world.This project is co-funded by Integrative Organismal Systems, Molecular and Cellular Biolsciences and the Rules of Life.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.