Sasha Strode
Mary Gates Research Scholar
Autumn 2023
Project
Unraveling the Genetic Basis of Pollination Transition in Thalictrum thalictroides: Insights into Plant Adaptation and Conservation
This project delves into the genetic mechanisms guiding the transition from insect to wind pollination in Thalictrum thalictroides, a member of the Ranunculaceae (buttercup) family. With flowering plants originally relying on insects for pollination, understanding this transition becomes pivotal amidst declining pollinator populations. Thalictrum, having transitioned from insect to wind pollination multiple times, serves as an ideal model. The carpels, the organs responsible for seed and fruit production, exhibit distinct morphologies in insect and wind-pollinated species, with longer stigmas prevalent in the latter. By investigating the candidate genes STY1/2 using virus-mediated gene manipulation techniques, significant phenotypic changes in carpel development were observed. These findings enhance our understanding of plant adaptation to environmental shifts and hold implications for conservation and sustainable agriculture. They also shed light on the potential engineering of wind-pollinated plants, vital for addressing challenges posed by dwindling pollinator populations and a changing climate.