Evolution of the alternation of generations in the land plant life cycle

本项目旨在研究陆地植物二态生命周期的遗传和进化基础，其中一个基因组可以产生两种体型。像动物一样，陆地植物有一部分时间是二倍体，减数分裂产生单倍体孢子。与动物不同，这些孢子在产生配子之前会长成多细胞生物。该项目将研究编码单细胞藻类和真菌中控制单倍体向二倍体转变的基因家族的同源结构域蛋白。它将研究一种开花植物和一种苔类植物的陆地植物基因。这些发现可以帮助科学家理解和操纵花粉和种子生产等重要过程。

This project aims to investigate the genetic and evolutionary basis of land plants’ dimorphic life cycle where a single genome can generate two body plans. Like animals, land plants spend part of their life as a diploid, where meiosis generates haploid spores. Unlike animals, these spores grow into multicellular organisms before generating gametes. The project will study a homeodomain protein encoding a gene family that controls the haploid to diploid transition in unicellular algae and fungi. It will investigate land plant genes in a flowering plant and a liverwort. These findings could help scientists understand and manipulate important processes such as pollen and seed production.