Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5948-6642
Date of Award
Spring 4-23-2026
Document Type
Thesis (Ph.D.)
Department or Program
Biological Sciences
First Advisor
G. Eric Schaller
Second Advisor
Magdalena Bezanilla
Third Advisor
Thomas P. Jack
Abstract
Ethylene is a phytohormone that regulates development, growth, and stress responses. Although the ethylene receptors have been well characterized in the model eudicot plant Arabidopsis, ethylene receptors in monocot plants, such as rice (Oryza sativa), have yet to be fully understood. Here, we used a CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing approach to characterize the role of an ethylene receptor in rice ethylene signaling. Results from loss-of-function CRISPR lines revealed a role in regulating ethylene sensitivity. Mutant phenotypes associated with loss of function include reduced seed set and weight within developing seeds. Further insight revealed effects on orchestrated programmed cell death within the developing seeds. Drought stress, heat stress, and ethylene treatment assays were utilized, along with molecular characterization of ethylene response genes to further show the role in ethylene sensitivity, PCD, and successful seed development during stress-inducing conditions. Insights from this study can have potential utility in crops of agricultural importance.
Recommended Citation
Hernandez, Kasey Alan, "VARIANT ETHYLENE RECEPTORS PROTECT THE CEREAL EMBRYO AGAINST PROGRAMMED CELL DEATH" (2026). Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations. 500.
https://digitalcommons.dartmouth.edu/dissertations/500
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agriculture Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Biology Commons, Developmental Biology Commons, Evolution Commons, Molecular Biology Commons, Plant Biology Commons
