| Abstract Detail
Phycological Section Garcia, Veder [1], Panagoulis, Daniel C [1], Cooke, Todd [1]. Utilizing Nitella hyalina as an experimental system for studying auxin responses. IN land plants, the embryos develop into diploid sporophytes bearing key adaptations to terrestrial environments. The evidence available from flowering plants indicates that the hormone auxin (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA) is primarily responsible for regulating plant embryogenesis. Since the Charales are the closest living algal relative to land plants, then we hypothesized that auxin might also regulate developmental processes in the Charales. An initial survey of various Charales species led us to choose Nitella hyalina as an experimental system for potentially studying the auxin regulation of charophyte development. Various pretreatments, including light, temperature, wetness, and storage, were evaluated to determine how to maximize oospore germination. Highest germination resulted from low temperature storage in darkness for at least one month in dry or wet conditions. On-going experiments are evaluating whether the oospores undergo winter dormancy or age-dependent declines in germination yield. After running toxicity tests to determine the appropriate level for solubilizing auxin regulatory compounds, 0.05% ethanol was shown to have no effect on sporeling development. We are currently investigating the effects of exogenous auxins, auxin antagonists, and polar transport inhibitors on the development of shoots and rhizoids of Nitella hyalina. These auxin experiments should provide important clues about how auxin acts to regulate the initial development of a Charales species, which will hopefully disclose a significant connection between Charales development and plant embryogenesis.
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1 - University of Maryland, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, College Park, Maryland, 20742, USA
Keywords:
Nitella hyalina
auxin
charophyte development
oospore germination.
Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: 48-105
Location: Auditorium/Bell Memorial Union
Date: Tuesday, August 1st, 2006
Time: 12:30 PM
Abstract ID:557 |
