Elucidating the genetic mechanism underlying de novo polarisation of the Marchanita spore

Polarity in the context of developmental biology can be defined as the presence of asymmetry along an axis. Polarity is evident at different levels, from the whole organism level e.g. apical-basal (shoot-root) axis of a vascular plant, down to the cellular level. Cellular polarisation, which is revealed through polar cell growth and asymmetric cell division, is fundamental for the development of multicellular life as this is the basis of cell differentiation - through regulating cell growth and division patterns, a single cell can give rise to a highly organised collection of a vast range of specialised cells. Cellular signalling is necessary to orient and specify the nature of polarity to be established within a cell. One family of genes which has been demonstrated to signal cell polarisation in a wide range of eukaryotes, including fungi, animals, and plants, is the Rho family of GTPases. Rho Of Plants (ROPs) is a subfamily of Rho GTPases unique to plants, and its role in signalling cell polarisation has been studied quite extensively in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, genetic redundancy in A. thaliana (there are 11 ROP genes), has prevented a full appreciation of ROP function from being gained. The liverwort Marchantia polymorpha only has a single ROP gene, and the recent development of genetic resources and techniques available for this model organism makes M. polymorpha an attractive system to study the genetics of cell polarisation. Starting with the characterisation of ROP function in cell polarisation, the genetic and molecular regulation of cell polarisation will be investigated in M. polymorpha. This work aims to improve our understanding of how polarity is established early on in plant development and continues to coordinate later development. This work should shed light on a fundamental aspect of developmental biology.

BBSRC priority area:
We rely heavily on plants for food. Improving our understanding of plant development could assist with generation of better crops in the future.