Location: Plant, Soil and Nutrition Research
Project Number: 8062-21000-050-011-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2021
End Date: Apr 14, 2023
Objective:
The project goal is to identify a cohort of candidate genes/proteins that could be targeted for improving pollen heat tolerance traits. The four objectives are: 1). Profiling the heat-induced transcriptomes and proteomes of the following tissues: a) pollen mother cells (PMC) at meiosis, tetrads, and microspore stages; b) tapetal cells from the same tissue section; and c) viable and non-viable pollen separately; 2). Identifying pollen heat stress genes/proteins through systemic analysis of the transcriptome/proteome datasets, and 3). Developing methods for validation of gene (transcript and protein) expression and biomarkers of heat tolerance; 4). Using these results to prepare a research proposal, tentatively entitled, “Developing heat tolerant tomatoes using CRISPR targeting on pollen heat stress genes”, and submit to the NIFA program.
Approach:
Specific activities performed in the ARS labs will include 1) a comparative proteomic analysis of treated and control plant material using a 10-plex TMT strategy on pollen mother cells (PMC) at meiosis, tetrads, and microspore stages, tapetal cells from the same tissue section and viable and non-viable pollen; 2) Students from Tennessee State University will be trained in proteomics at the RW Holley Center for Agriculture and Health through their participation in these research activities.
