Dissecting the mechanisms of FERONIA and related receptor kinase-mediated pollen-pistil interactions

剖析 FERONIA 和相关受体激酶介导的花粉-雌蕊相互作用的机制

• 批准号: 1645858
• 负责人: Alice Cheung
• 金额: $ 45万
• 依托单位: University of Massachusetts Amherst
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-04-15 至 2022-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1645858&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissecting; mechanisms; FERONIA; related; receptor

This project addresses how flowering plants achieve fertilization so seeds are produced. Achieving this requires intimate interactions between male (pollen) and female (pistil) to enable growth of a pollen tube to deliver sperm to the embryo sac inside an ovule (the precursor of a seed) for fertilization. The project utilizes the model plant Arabidopsis to understand the molecular designs and biochemical reactions behind these interactions. The focus is on two classes of molecules, one is a family of low molecular weight proteins called, Rapid Alkanization Factors, the other is a class of proteins called receptor kinases and includes a molecule called FERONIA and related proteins. Rapid Alkanization Factors are believed to serve as signals to instruct how these receptor kinases should react in successful pollination and fertilization processes. The goal is to identify the interacting pairs of the Alikinazation Factor and receptor kinase, understand how they interact and their importance to the reproductive process. Given reproduction underlies agricultural yields as well as survival of the species, results from this study should contribute to rational designs aiming at protecting plant species as well as ensuring food supply. The project will provide training opportunities for undergraduates, graduate and postdoctoral students. Findings and materials produced will be shared with the scientific community through publications, with the broader public by being introduced as topics in STEM workshops for high school teachers. Pollen grains germinate on the receptive surface of the pistil, each producing a tube to transport two sperm cells to an embryo sac where the egg cell is located inside an ovule (the precursor organ for a seed). The embryo sac induces rupture of the penetrating pollen tube to release sperm rendering them available for fertilization. This project will rely on biochemical and genetic approaches to examine how RALF-FER and RALF-FER related receptor kinase interactions underlie pollen tube growth and rupture. Several pollen- or ovule-expressed Rapid Alkanization Factors (RALFs), the female-expressed FERONIA (FER) and three related pollen-expressed receptor kinases are selected for the study here. Biochemical efforts will focus on producing pure and active RALFs for testing their activity in pollen tube growth behavior in defined culture medium. Genetic efforts will center on determining the precise temporal and spatial expression pattern of the RALFs and generating mutations in individual RALFs, or combinatorially in multiple RALFs, to determine the impact of their loss on pollination and fertilization. Though some functional roles are emerging for RALFs and the FER family of proteins, e.g. in growth, development, reproduction, defense and symbiosis, most remain unknown. While important in its own right, especially given the impact agricultural production to society, the functional relationship established here could provide a model for studies that extend beyond pollen-pistil and plant reproduction to almost all aspects of plant growth, development and survival.

该项目解决了开花植物如何获得施肥，从而产生种子。实现这一目标需要雄性（花粉）和雌性（雌蕊）之间的紧密相互作用，以使花粉管的生长以将精子传递到胚珠（种子的前体）内的胚胎囊中进行施肥。该项目利用模型植物拟南芥来了解这些相互作用背后的分子设计和生化反应。重点是两类分子，一个是一个称为快速烷烃因子的低分子量蛋白的家族，另一种是一种称为受体激酶的蛋白质，包括一个称为Feronia和相关蛋白质的分子。据信快速的烷烃因子用作信号，以指导这些受体激酶应如何在成功的授粉和受精过程中做出反应。目的是确定抗抗酸因子和受体激酶的相互作用对，了解它们如何相互作用以及它们对生殖过程的重要性。鉴于繁殖是农业产量和该物种生存的基础，这项研究的结果应有助于旨在保护植物物种并确保粮食供应的理性设计。该项目将为大学生，研究生和博士后学生提供培训机会。所产生的发现和材料将通过出版物与科学界共享，并通过作为高中教师的STEM研讨会的主题引入更广泛的公众。花粉颗粒在雌蕊的接受表面上发芽，每根都会产生一个管，将两个精子细胞运输到卵形细胞位于胚珠内的胚囊中（种子的前体器官）。胚囊诱导穿透花粉管的破裂，以释放精子，使其可用于受精。该项目将依靠生化和遗传学方法来研究RALF-FER和RALF-FER相关的受体激酶相互作用是花粉管生长和破裂的基础。此处的研究选择了几种花粉表达的快速烷烃化因子（RALF），女性表达的Feronia（FER）和三个相关的花粉表达的受体激酶。生化努力将集中于生产纯净和活跃的RALF，以测试其在定义培养基中的花粉管生长行为中的活性。遗传努力将集中在确定RALF的精确时间和空间表达模式，并在单个RALF中或在多个RALF中组合产生突变，以确定其损失对授粉和受精的影响。尽管RALF和FER蛋白家族正在出现某些功能作用，例如在生长，发展，繁殖，防御和共生中，大多数仍然未知。虽然本身重要，尤其是考虑到农业生产对社会的影响，但此处建立的功能关系可能会为研究模型提供超越花粉 - - 桃花的繁殖和植物繁殖的模型，以至于几乎所有方面都可以延伸到植物生长，发育和生存的所有方面。

项目成果

Context-specific dependence on FERONIA kinase activity

• DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13184
• 发表时间: 2018-07-01
• 期刊: FEBS LETTERS
• 影响因子: 3.5
• 作者: Duan, Qiaohong;Cheung, Alice Y.
• 通讯作者: Cheung, Alice Y.

Malectin/Malectin-like domain-containing proteins: A repertoire of cell surface molecules with broad functional potential.

• DOI: 10.1016/j.tcsw.2021.100056
• 发表时间: 2021-12
• 期刊: Cell surface (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
• 作者: Yang H;Wang D;Guo L;Pan H;Yvon R;Garman S;Wu HM;Cheung AY
• 通讯作者: Cheung AY

LLG2/3 Are Co-receptors in BUPS/ANX-RALF Signaling to Regulate Arabidopsis Pollen Tube Integrity

• DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.08.032
• 发表时间: 2019-10-07
• 期刊: CURRENT BIOLOGY
• 影响因子: 9.2
• 作者: Ge, Zengxiang;Zhao, Yuling;Qu, Li-Jia
• 通讯作者: Qu, Li-Jia