Recognizing Plant Physiology first authors: Hai-Hong Liu

Hai-Hong Liu, co-first author of IMPORTIN β4 mediates nuclear import of GIFs to control ovule development in Arabidopsis

Current Position: Ph.D. candidate in State Key laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, China

Education: 2011 – 2015 B.S. Shandong Agricultural University; 2015 – now, Ph.D. candidate, Shandong Agricultural University,

Non-scientific interest: Reading, enjoying music, running, watching movies

Brief bio: I have been trained in cellular biology by Prof. Yan Zhang at Shandong Agricultural University since 2015. My main research projects focus on the molecular mechanisms of ovule development in Arabidopsis. Ovules, the progenitor of seeds, are critical for successful double fertilization. Ovules are composed of sporophytic integument cells and gametophytic embryo sacs. Although it’s been well known that cells of the two generations communicate with each other to ensure synchronized development, the underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown.

In this Plant Physiology paper, we reported that a karyopherin IMPORTIN β4 (IMB4) regulates ovule integument development through nucleocytoplasmic transport of GRF-INTERACTING FACTORS(GIFs). My current research is aimed at a bigger question, how integument-female gametophyte communication is conducted? I hope that my future research not only gives answers to that big question but also provides more meaning to my life.

姓名：刘海虹

职位：山东农业大学作物生物学国家重点实验室，生命科学学院，细胞生物学专业，博士生

教育经历：2011-2015年，在山东农业大学攻读学士学位；2015年-至今，在山东农业大学硕博连读

兴趣爱好：读书，听音乐，跑步，看电影

个人简介：2015年起至今，我在山东农业大学生命科学学院张彦教授实验室硕博连读，主要学习及研究细胞生物学专业相关知识。期间，我主要的课题是拟南芥中胚珠发育的分子机理研究。胚珠作为种子的前体，它的正常发育对完成双受精过程至关重要。胚珠由孢子体的珠被细胞和配子体的胚囊两部分组成，虽然已有报道显示这两部分通过相互交流实现同步生长，但是其分子机理尚不清楚。

在Plant Physiology发表的这篇论文中，我们报道了核输入蛋白IMB4通过介导GIFs入核来调控胚珠珠被的发育。而我目前的研究，意在揭示一个更重大的问题，雌配子体珠被及胚囊之间如何进行细胞间的信息交流？我希望自己将来的研究能解决重大问题，让自己变得更有价值，也让自己的生活更有意义。