You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to our seminars announcements and reminders service at [ https://maillist.psb.ugent.be/mailman/listinfo/seminars | https://maillist.psb.ugent.be/mailman/listinfo/seminars ] . ''Maize reproduction: Focus on pollen and seed development'' Dr Thomas Widiez Plant Reproduction and Development ENS Lyon FRANCE Thursday, March 31, 2022 11:00 In flowering plants, sexual reproduction is characterized by a unique biological process called double fertilization. It consists of two synchronized fusion events between male and female gametes: two sperm cells (from the same pollen grain) fused separately with the two female gametes: egg cell and central cell. This double fertilization gives rise to two different individuals/tissues: the embryo and the endosperm, which are enclosed by maternal tissues. A coordinated development of these three genetically distinct tissues, organized like a Russian doll, lead to the seed. By using maize and combining OMICs, genetics (mutants and CRISPR/cas9) and cell biology approaches, our work aims to tackle questions on plant reproduction: How is the synchronization of double fertilization ensured? How is the communication between the three seed compartments established to ensure proper seed development? I will illustrate our research focusing on two aspects: (1) On the pollen side, I will present the characterization of a still enigmatic interface: the endo-plasma membrane (endo-PM) that originates from the pollen vegetative cell and wraps the two sperm cells, forming a unique “cell within a cell” structure. (2) On the seed development side, I will present the characterization of a new embryo/endosperm interface: the endosperm adjacent to scutellum (EAS). Jozef Schell seminar room Technologiepark 71 - 9052 Invited by Prof Dirk Inzé and Prof Moritz Nowack If you do not wish to receive this information anymore, please unsubscribe from future mailings at [ https://maillist.psb.ugent.be/mailman/listinfo/seminars | https://maillist.psb.ugent.be/mailman/listinfo/seminars ] Genome editing, cutting-edge technology for a sustainable agriculture VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology Ghent University Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 71 9052 Ghent-Belgium Phone: +32(0)9 331 38 00 [ http://www.psb.vib-ugent.be/ | https://www.psb.ugent.be/ ]