38th Annual Student Research Conference
Molecular genetic studies of candidate developmental regulators in two model species: Ceratopteris richardii and Arabidopsis thaliana
Anasofia Carrillo
Dr. Joey Hubbard, Faculty Mentor
Meristems and stem cells are essential for plant growth, development, and biomass production. In our study, we used two model species—Arabidopsis and Ceratopteris—to investigate regulators controlling meristem development and stem cell homeostasis. We identified two closely related homologs, CrPER1 and CrPER2, and applied CRISPR-Cas9 to induce mutations in these genes in transgenic Ceratopteris. Two DNA primers, forward primer 267-1 and reverse primer 267-2, were designed to amplify the genomic regions of each gene. After DNA extraction, PCR, and purification, Sanger sequencing of 88 samples revealed three heterozygous mutations in CrPER1, while no mutations were detected in CrPER2. We plan to explore the morphological effects of these mutations in subsequent generations. Comparative analysis with A. thaliana is ongoing to evaluate the conservation of gene functions across ferns and angiosperms. This research demonstrates the power of CRISPR technology in fern genetics and offers new insights into the evolution of plant developmental mechanisms.
Keywords: Plant pathology, Meristem development, Gene regulation, CRISPR-Cas9
Topic(s):Biology
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
Session: 400-17
Location: SUB Activities Room
Time: 6:30