Speaker: Mary Gehring, associate professor of biology, member of Whitehead Institute at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Title: "Genetic conflicts and seed development"

Abstract: Plant seeds contain a diploid embryo and a triploid endosperm, an embryo-nourishing tissue. Endosperm has a 2:1 maternal:paternal genomic ratio and is sensitive to alterations of this ratio. Because the endosperm acquires resources from a purely maternal tissue, the maternal and paternal genomes in the developing endosperm may be in conflict over the preferred extent of maternal resource transfer. In Arabidopsis, crosses between diploid females and tetraploid males result in about 85% seed abortion, depending on the genetic strain and environmental conditions. We have previously shown that paternal inheritance of mutations in NRPD1 largely suppress interploidy seed abortion in Arabidopsis. NRPD1 encodes the largest subunit of RNA Pol IV, a plant specific RNA Polymerase responsible for the production of small RNAs that direct DNA methylation. We will describe our latest results on the divergent roles for maternal and paternal RNA Pol IV during seed development and the basis for dosage sensitivity in Arabidopsis endosperm.

Host: Sarah Anderson, assistant professor in genetics, development and cell biology

Gehring lab: http://gehringlab.wi.mit.edu/ 

Nov. 9, 2021 GDCB Seminar flyer: Mary Gehring