Abstract

For self-pollinating plants to produce seeds, the male and female floral organs must grow coordinately. Once the stamens grow tall enough, the anthers release pollen onto the stigma, thus initiating fertilization. When Arabidopsis thaliana mutants unable to produce the Calcineurin B-like 10 (CBL10) protein are grown in standard conditions, floral growth and fertilization is normal. However, when grown in the presence of 40mM NaCl, the stamens do not fully develop, preventing pollination and subsequent seed production. This suggests that the CBL10 protein aids in development of the stamen during salt stress, and early results indicate a role in the jasmonic acid biosynthesis portion of the stamen development pathway. Physical treatment of cbl10 mutant flowers with methyl jasmonate showed a partial rescue to normal flowering. Comparing expression levels of jasmonic acid biosynthesis genes between the normal and mutant plants show possible differences in Allene Oxide Synthase (AOS) and Defective in Anther Dehiscence 1 (DAD1) expression. Full comprehension of this pathway may help us improve crop yields despite decreasing soil quality, such as high salinity from over irrigation.