Ramin Yadegari

Associate Professor

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Research Interests

Molecular Genetics of Developmental Regulatory Pathways in Arabidopsis

We are interested in understanding the gene-regulatory processes that mediate fertilization and initiation of seed development. The plant life cycle alternates between a diploid sporophyte generation and a haploid gametophyte generation. The angiosperm female gametophyte is critical to the reproductive process. It is the structure within which egg cell production and fertilization take place. Using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, we are focusing on two specific processes: (1) development of the female gametophyte and (2) control of seed initiation by gene-regulatory complexes before and after fertilization. For example, we are using a combination of expression-based analyses and genetic resources of Arabidopsis to identify major gene-regulatory networks involved in differentiation of the female gametophyte cell types. Similarly, using biochemical, molecular and genetic approaches, we are identifying components of the Polycomb-group complexes that mediate epigenetic repression of gene expression before fertilization.

Selected Publications

Wang D, Tyson MD, Jackson SS, Yadegari R. Aug 2006. Partially redundant functions of two SET-domain polycomb-group proteins in controlling initiation of seed development in Arabidopsis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 103:13244-9

Dinneny JR, Yadegari R, Fischer RL, Yanofsky MF, Weigel D. Mar 2004. The role of JAGGED in shaping lateral organs. Development, 131:1101-10