PLANT REPRODUCTION PROGRAM Executive Summary   Objective – Establish a multi-investigator program in the area of Plant Reproduction to enhance research activities and promote interactions between the investigators. The benefit is an integrated multidisciplinary program to address and apply basic aspects of plant reproduction to the agricultural industry. Organization- Utilizes the organization and existing structure for the Center for Reproductive Biology at the University of Idaho and Washington State University to help administer and integrate the research programs. Summary - The collaborative plant reproduction research program proposed will address a central theme to identify the basic mechanistic aspects of plant reproduction such that new strategies can be identified to impact the agricultural industry. The projects involved in the program are: Research proposed by Dr. Browse is to determine the genes encoding signaling components involved in anther maturation. An investigation into the role of Ascorbic Acid in reproductive structure development is performed by Dr. Vince Franceschi. Dr. Andrew McCubbin aims to examine the role of calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPK’s) in pollen tube growth and pollen-pistil interactions. The investigation of Dr. Poovaiah involves studying the functional significance of Calcium signaling in microsporogenesis. Dr. Loverine Taylor proposes to identify components of signaling pathways that control pollen germination and growth by characterizing protein-protein and protein-small molecule interactions An investigation of the significance of long distance transport of organic nitrogen tranport for seed development is proposed by Dr. Mechthild Tegeder. The aim of the research proposed by Dr. von Wettstein is to better understand the fundamentals of epigenetic changes during pollen and endosperm development. Application of this basic research on the mechanistic aspects of plant reproduction will be targeted towards maximizing seed set and seed yield/quality in agricultural and horticultural crops, understanding/optimizing reproductive strategies in endangered or ecologically sensitive species and development of hybrid breeding systems in crop plants. Projects - The central theme of the proposed projects is an integrated approach to a basic understanding of the mechanisms controlling plant reproduction. Project 1 - Dr. John Browse, WSU, Gene Expression During Anther Maturation in Arabidopsis. Project 2 – Dr. Andrew McCubbin, WSU , The Role of Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinases (CDPK’s) in Pollen Tube Growth and Pollen-Pistil Interactions Project 3 - Dr. Joe Poovaiah, WSU, Calcium/Calmodulin-mediated Signaling During Microsporogenesis. Project 4 – Dr. Loverine Taylor, WSU, Signaling Pathways in Pollen-Pistil Interactions. Project 5– Dr. Mechthild Tegeder, WSU, Role of Long Distance Transport of Organic Nitrogen in Development of Legume Seeds. Project 6 - Dr. Diter von Wettstein, WSU, Epigenetic Changes During Pollen and Endosperm Development in Barley.
		For more information and/or feedback send mail to: crb@mail.wsu.edu .