Qun Wang: The Plant Cell First Author

Qun Wang, first author of “ENB1 encodes a cellulose synthase 5 that directs synthesis of cell wall ingrowths in maize basal endosperm transfer cells”

Current Position: Ph.D. candidate at China Agricultural University

Education: M.S. at Shanghai University

Non-scientific Interests: reading, traveling, and playing badminton

Brief bio: I have been fascinated by plant science during my undergraduate study. In my junior year, I focused on phylogenetic analysis of Ranunculus cantoniensis polyploid complex based on the low-copy nuclear gene. Since 2014, I joined the research group of Prof. Rentao Song at Shanghai University, where I did my M.S. study in the field of the molecular biology of maize seed development. I characterized a maize seed mutant enb1, which shows a degraded endosperm and a normal-looking embryo during seed development. To deeply explore the role of ENB1 in maize seed development, I started my Ph.D. program in Song’s lab at China Agricultural University in 2017. During this period, I found that ENB1 enhances maternal sucrose import, contributing to the formation of the persistent endosperm in maize. My long-term scientific goal is to deeply investigate the genetic basis and molecular regulation mechanisms of nutrient transport cells such as the transfer cells at the maternal/filial interface and the potential transfer cells at the embryo/endosperm interface in maize. I hope future studies can be applied to the agricultural field. Not only is the ratio of the embryo to endosperm controlled, but also the yield is greatly boosted in maize.

姓名：王群

目前职位：中国农业大学，博士在读

教育背景：上海大学，硕士学位

兴趣爱好：阅读，旅行，打羽毛球

个人简介：我在本科学习阶段就对植物科学有着浓厚的兴趣，因此在大三的时候便在导师的指导下以一类较为古老的毛茛属植物作为研究对象，开展了基于低拷贝核基因的禺毛茛多倍体复合体的系统进化研究。2014年本科毕业后，我有幸加入上海大学宋任涛教授课题组开展玉米籽粒发育方面的研究。我们鉴定到一个玉米籽粒突变体enb1，发现它的永久型胚乳在籽粒发育的过程中发生剧烈地降解，但胚发育正常。为了深入解析ENB1基因的功能，我于2017年加入宋老师在中国农业大学的课题组。在攻读博士学位期间，我进一步地证明了ENB1通过合成籽粒胚乳传递层细胞的壁内突，进而增强光合同化物蔗糖从母本植物到胚乳的转运，使得籽粒中形成永久型胚乳。这项研究揭示了禾谷类种子永久型胚乳形成的新机制。我将来的科研兴趣是深入地解析玉米中营养转运细胞如母本组织和子代籽粒交界处的传递层细胞，以及胚和胚乳交界处潜在的类传递层细胞的遗传学基础及其分子调控机制。我希望未来的这些机制研究能够运用于实际的农业生产即我们能够极大限度地调控胚和胚乳比例的同时，还能极大地提高玉米产量。