Recognizing Plant Physiology authors: Weiwei Chen

Weiwei Chen, co-first author of METHYLTRANSFERASE1 and ripening modulate vivipary during tomato fruit development

Current Position: Associate Professor, Research Centre for Plant RNA Signaling and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Genetic Improvement and Quality Control of Medicinal Plants, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China

Education: PhD from Zhejiang University / College of Life Science, Hangzhou, China; Bachelor’s degree from Zhejiang Normal University / College of Life Science, Jinhua, China

Non-scientific Interests: travelling, reading, fitness

Brief bio: After obtaining my PhD degree in Botany from Zhejiang University in 2012, I took a Research Leader position in the Research Centre for Plant RNA Signaling which has been established by Prof Yiguo Hong in Hangzhou Normal University. My research interests are mainly to explore the epigenetic role of DNA methylation during plant growth and development. In this particular work, I generated RNAi-mediated knock-down lines of DNA METHYLTRANSFERASE1 (SlMET1) in wild-type tomato as well as conducted Potato virus X-based VIGS experiments in the tomato epimutant Colourless non-ripening (Cnr). These led to reveal for the first time the SlMET1-mediated epigenetic modulation of precocious seed germination and viviparous seedling growth within the Cnr fruits.

 

姓名： 陈微微

当前职位：   杭州师范大学生命与环境科学学院副教授

教育经历：   2007-2012, 浙江大学生命科学学院, 植物学专业, 博士; 2003-2007, 浙江师范大学生命科学学院, 生物技术专业, 学士

兴趣爱好：   旅行、阅读、健身

个人简介：   本人自2012年从浙江大学博士毕业后，入职杭州师范大学洪益国教授建立的植物RNA信号传导研究中心团队，任表观遗传研究小组负责人，主要从事DNA介导的甲基化在植物生长发育中的调控作用。在本研究中，以番茄自发表观遗传调控突变体Colourless non-ripening (Cnr) 为研究材料，本人利用PVX病毒介导的VIGS沉默DNA甲基转移酶1（METHYLTRANSFERASE1, SlMET1）基因，并通过遗传转化获得SlMET1-RNAi沉默株系，揭示并初步阐明了DNA甲基转移酶1基因在调控番茄种子胎萌中的表观遗传机制。