Elucidating the mechanism of unreduced gamete formation in Arabidopsis thaliana

• Applicant: Privatdozent Hua Jiang, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Plant Genetics and Genomics
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 452715361

Polyploidy, the presence of more than two sets of chromosomes within a cell, is a widespread phenomenon in plants. The primary route to polyploidy is through the formation of unreduced (2n) gametes that are usually generated by meiotic failure. While the production of 2n gametes is crucial for plant evolution, the molecular mechanisms of 2n gamete formation are not well understood. The previously identified jason (jas) mutant can produce around 60% of 2n gametes that result from a male meiotic failure. We have identified two EMS mutants that provide reduced (1n) gametes in the presence of the jas mutation by a forward genetic screen. Through the next-generation sequencing-based mapping, we have identified a candidate gene that encodes a homolog of the mammalian Eph (erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular carcinoma) receptor. We will identify the role of the candidate gene and the Eph signaling cascade in the process of 2n gamete formation in Arabidopsis. The project aims to elucidate a novel mechanism that determines the formation of 2n gametes in Arabidopsis, with the potential to develop a new tool to promote 2n gametes and whole-genome duplication in crop breeding.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants