Recognizing Plant Cell first authors: Xixi Zheng

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Xixi Zheng, co-first author of Intra-Kernel Reallocation of Proteins in Maize Depends on VP1-Mediated Scutellum Development and Nutrient Assimilation

Current Position: Ph.D. Candidate, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology & Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Education: PhD studies (2014-present); Bachelor at Huazhong Agricultural University, China (2010-2014)

Non-scientific Interests: Family, Music, Reading

Brief Bio: When I studied at Huazhong Agricultural University, I first found my passion in plant science, especially crop research, which may be important for intelligent manipulation of plant development to enhance crop productivity. While I finishing my bachelor study, I pursued a PhD degree in the Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology & Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. I join the lab of Dr. Yongrui Wu, where I can dig into crop development research as much as I like. My research focus on proteome rebalancing between maize kernel endosperm and embryo in which suppression of a dominantly expressed protein such as a seed storage protein leads to increased expression of other proteins. By using the α-Zeins (endosperm storage proteins) RNAi lines without pleiotropic effect in kernel development, we found dramatically increased expression of globulin storage proteins and other proteins in embryo, which demonstrate that proteome rebalancing does occur between endosperm and embryo. It appears that protein reallocation is mostly regulated at the transcriptional level and furthermore, that this is regulated by the embryo transcription factor VP1. Our results demonstrate that VP1 is essential for scutellum development and protein reallocation from endosperm to embryo.

 

第一作者：郑喜喜

当前职位： 博士研究生, 中国科学院分子植物科学卓越创新中心/植物生理生态研究所 

教育经历： 博士研究生（2014至今）；本科，华中农业大学（2010-2014）。

兴趣爱好： 音乐，阅读。

个人简介：在华中农业大学本科学习期间，我对植物科学尤其是作物科学产生了浓厚的兴趣，因为开展这些研究，有潜力帮助调节作物生长发育从而提高产量。本科毕业后，我来到中国科学院植物生理生态研究所攻读博士学位。我加入了巫永睿课题组，在这里我可以尽情从事植物科学研究。我的研究主要关注玉米籽粒胚和胚乳之间的蛋白质组平衡。蛋白质组平衡这个现象是指抑制一些表达量较高的蛋白表达，比如储藏蛋白，可以使其他一些蛋白的表达量上升。利用一个α-Zein（胚乳储藏蛋白）RNAi干扰的材料，这个材料排除了多效性因素对籽粒发育的影响。我们发现这个材料的籽粒胚的球蛋白以及一些其他的蛋白显著上升，这证明了胚和胚乳之间存在蛋白质组平衡。并且实验显示这种蛋白重新配置是发生在转录水平的。我们通过遗传实验，更近一步说明这个过程中依赖于胚转录因子VP1。我们结果显示VP1 对胚盾片发育和营养从胚乳向胚传递起到很重要的作用。