Patterning the Female Gametophyte of Arabidopsis

University Of California-Davis, Davis CA

Investigators

Abstract

The female gametophyte is central to plant reproduction and to seed production. Located inside the pistil of the flower, the female gametophyte (also known as the embryo sac) contains two female gametes, the egg cell and central cell. After fertilization by the sperm cells of the male gametophyte (pollen), the two female gametes give rise to the embryo and starch-rich endosperm that constitute the seed. The project aims to understand the molecular mechanisms that control how the female gametophyte is patterned, i.e. how it develops from a single haploid cell to form a functional seven cell reproductive unit containing the two female gametes. Previous work from this laboratory showed that this mechanism involves an unusual gradient of a plant hormone, auxin, which is produced by the gametophyte. This project will investigate how the gradient of auxin is generated and maintained, and how it leads to the correct cells being specified within the gametophyte, and how the levels of auxin can be manipulated to make additional egg cells. The approaches used will involve genetics, molecular and cell biology. The research will be carried out in the model plant Arabidopsis, but the same mechanisms are expected to be found in all flowering plants. The knowledge gained from this research can be applied to crop plants and will be important for the control of reproduction and seed production in agriculture. The project will also provide training for participants at the undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral levels.