- Are the cells found in the protonema of bryophytes all considered pluripotent, or are there particular sections of the protonema destined to become differentiated into the gametophyte stage? Furthermore, how does Methylobacterium induce faster growth of protonema in Funaria ? Does it prevent further cell differentiation, or does it simply increase nutrient availability?
- How similar is the development of stomata on tracheophyte sporophytes and the stomata on bryophyte sporangia? Are they homologous, or are they converging?
- What structural/biochemical mechanisms surround Paramecium aureli’s ability to change its tolerance to heat, salt, and arsenic, and why does this tolerance disappear after several generations?
As a bryo-enthusiast, I would love to be able to study the development, history, and relevance of bryophytes to humans because I think they are amazing organisms that deserve far more credit that they receive. One of the things that attracts me to them is their simplicity and the way they are able to thrive in such diverse habitats despite having relatively simple structure, physiology, and development. Furthermore, I am particularly interested in looking at host-microbe relationships. Considering we know so little about the complex microbial world and how communities of microbes change ( or are changed by) other organisms, I believe this topic is a marriage of my two passions.
If the results of my potential experiment showed that protonema (specifically, caulonema, which is the stage of protonema right before gametophyte and rhizoid differentiation) consisted of a large collection of identical cells (that is, there is no pre-determined stem cell from which the gametophyte grows), it would suggest that there are some factors or signals that induce further differentiation. I believe this would be fascinating to the world of developmental genetics because it would be an example of how plants signal cell differentiation and specificity. conversely, if it is revealed that the point of cell differentiation is pre-determined in the early protonemal stages, I could investigate what causes particular cells to be ‘chosen’ and how one might manipulate this.
Additionally, I would want to investigate the effect of Methylobacterium (a protonema-associated microbe) has on protonemal growth. I would want to investigate why Methylobacterium-associated hosts tend to grow more extensive protonema– for example, whether it grows faster because of increased induction of growth genes, of if it is because there is a repression of differentiation genes. This could be important in understanding how to induce faster stem cell growth or how to prevent stem cells from further differentiating. Either option could provide useful knowledge about how to manipulate cell growth and differentiation, and it may lead to us using Methylobacterium as a tool to study stem cells in other organisms.
In the world of science, the ability to understand how plants sustain pluripotent cell stages (like protonema), what triggers differentiation, and what external factors may prevent differentiation could be used in many different fields. Cell cultures used for other experiments could be sustained better due to increased knowledge of how to prolong cell stages. Experimental organisms could be grown at faster rates if we were to understand how to speed up the development process. In society, we may even be able to extend the tools and concepts gained from these results into treating human disease and illness. For example, if studies on Methylobacterium were to reveal that the bacteria produced a compound that prevents the expression of certain genes in development, one could potentially use similar compounds in tumour therapy to control rapidly dividing cells. Although my proposed question may not directly affect society, there are many ways its results could influence new ideas that would eventually lead to better medicinal practices.