INVESTIGATING THE MOLECULAR MECHANISMS CONTROLLING PLANT FORM AND FUNCTION Choose any picture above for more information about current research projects

Trichomes

Trichomes or epidermal hairs, are found on many plants and have many functions such as physical barriers to insects and decrease water loss by producing a thicker boundary layer on the plant. The single celled trichome of Arabidopsis thaliana has been used almost exclusively to model trichome development. We are primarily interested in the coordination of genes which control trichome branching of which over 18 have been identified. Of those that have been cloned (i.e. ZWICHEL, ANGUSTIFOLIA etc.) most have been shown to affect the integrity of the microtubule cytoskeleton, with the exception of STICHEL. We are studying the effect of ethylene signal transduction on trichome development using both Gain Of Function (GOF) and Loss Of Function (LOF) mutants. We are also working to extend the understanding of trichome development beyond the A. thaliana model through the use of activation tagged lines of Populus. To date we have isolated one mutant in which trichome initiation is upregulated. This may confer a selective advantage to the tree through a higher resistance to herbivory and water loss.