Project description:Many flowering plants attract pollinators by offering a reward of floral nectar. Remarkably, the molecular events involved in the development of nectaries, the organs that produce nectar, as well as the synthesis and secretion of nectar itself, are poorly understood. We previously identified a mutant, cwinv4-1, for the gene CELL WALL INVERTASE 4 that failed to produde nectar. This study was undertaken to understand transcriptional changes that occur in cwinv4-1 mature lateral nectaries. RNA was isolated from Stage 14-15 lateral nectaries (secretory stage) of wild-type and cwinv4-1 (mutant) Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Columbia flowers. Two biological replicates were performed for cwinv4-1 and a single biological replicate was performed for wild-type. Normalization was also performed with other pre-existing wild-type lateral nectary array data.
Project description:Floral Nectaries Many plants secrete a rich floral nectar to entice visitation by insect and avian pollinators. In turn, these pollinators transfer pollen between flowers increasing plant fecundity. The nectary is the floral organ that secretes nectar into the base of the flower. The size and abundance of the ornamental tobacco nectaries (Nicotiana sp.) will permit us to isolate up to several grams of nectaries at each stage to obtain the necessary amounts of RNA for probe preparation. Our primary goals to understand the biochemistry the nectary, so that we can manipulate nectary function to increase pollinator visitation. We have previously conducted an EST study and have identified 13596 cDNAs from three different stages of nectary development (Stage 6, immature, presecretory nectaries; Stage 12, mature nectaries at floral anthesis; and nectaries, 44 hours after fertilization. In our efforts to evaluate the transcriptional program for the Nicotiana nectary we are proposing to evaluate nectary mRNAs by hybridization with the potato microarrays. We have preliminary evidence that wholesale transcriptional reprogramming (60% of the transcriptome) occurs during nectary maturation and again following fertilization. Our goal is to understand these processes at a biochemical level so that we can begin manipulating nectary function to improve nectar quality and quantity thereby increasing the attractiveness of flowers to insect pollinators. Such improvements have the potential to result in increases in insect visitation, seedset, and ultimately yield for insect pollinated crops. We are also making significant efforts to understand the restructuring of the nectary during its lifecycle. Many changes occur during nectary development and the observed transcriptional reprogramming makes sense the when these many changes are accounted for. Keywords: Loop design 30 hybs total
Project description:Floral Nectaries Many plants secrete a rich floral nectar to entice visitation by insect and avian pollinators. In turn, these pollinators transfer pollen between flowers increasing plant fecundity. The nectary is the floral organ that secretes nectar into the base of the flower. The size and abundance of the ornamental tobacco nectaries (Nicotiana sp.) will permit us to isolate up to several grams of nectaries at each stage to obtain the necessary amounts of RNA for probe preparation. Our primary goals to understand the biochemistry the nectary, so that we can manipulate nectary function to increase pollinator visitation. We have previously conducted an EST study and have identified 13596 cDNAs from three different stages of nectary development (Stage 6, immature, presecretory nectaries; Stage 12, mature nectaries at floral anthesis; and nectaries, 44 hours after fertilization. In our efforts to evaluate the transcriptional program for the Nicotiana nectary we are proposing to evaluate nectary mRNAs by hybridization with the potato microarrays. We have preliminary evidence that wholesale transcriptional reprogramming (60% of the transcriptome) occurs during nectary maturation and again following fertilization. Our goal is to understand these processes at a biochemical level so that we can begin manipulating nectary function to improve nectar quality and quantity thereby increasing the attractiveness of flowers to insect pollinators. Such improvements have the potential to result in increases in insect visitation, seedset, and ultimately yield for insect pollinated crops. We are also making significant efforts to understand the restructuring of the nectary during its lifecycle. Many changes occur during nectary development and the observed transcriptional reprogramming makes sense the when these many changes are accounted for. Keywords: Loop design