Use of a Contradictory Glabra3 mutant to study Arabidopsis Trichome Development

模式植物拟南芥叶片表面的单细胞毛发(称为毛状体)的发育正被用于解决基本的生物学问题。虽然这项研究的性质是基础性的，但它也可能具有未来的实际应用。这是因为毛状体提供了一种屏障，有助于保护许多植物免受昆虫、干旱或过度阳光的伤害。因此，从拟南芥毛状体的研究中获得的信息可能会导致改进作物的策略。此外，控制毛状体细胞命运和分化的许多细胞过程在所有真核细胞中都存在。因此，对毛状体的分析可能有助于更好地理解所有真核细胞的细胞分化，包括植物和动物。这项研究还将为加强对学生的基本生物学概念的教学提供一个框架。这些毛发很容易在课堂上学习，从这项资助中产生的材料将提供给6-12年级和本科生的教室。这些材料将有助于理解遗传的基本概念以及关于蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用的更高级概念。这项研究的实际重点将放在一个表现出不寻常毛状体的拟南芥突变体上。导致毛状体发育异常的基因突变已被鉴定并发现位于一个基因(称为GL3)中，该基因可能是调节毛状体发育过程中许多基因表达所必需的。此外，已知GL3基因编码的蛋白质可以与其他蛋白质相互作用。这笔资金将用于分析这种突变基因，以解决以下问题：GL3突变如何影响由此产生的改变后的GL3蛋白质与其他蛋白质相互作用的能力？为什么突变会导致毛状体异常发育？其他基因的突变能抑制GL3的突变吗？这些问题的答案将增加我们对许多基本细胞过程的了解，如细胞分裂、细胞扩张、细胞分化和基因调控。

The development of the single celled hairs (called trichomes) on the surface of the leaves of the model plant Arabidopsis is being used to address basic biological questions. While the nature of this research is basic, it also may have future practical applications. This is because the trichomes provide a barrier that helps protect many plants from insects, drought, or excess sunlight. Thus, information obtained from the study of Arabidopsis trichomes may lead to strategies to improve crop plants. Furthermore, many of the cellular processes that control trichome cell fate and differentiation are found in all eukaryotic cells. Thus, the analysis of trichomes may lead to a better understanding of cellular differentiation of all eukaryotic cells; both plant and animal. This research also will provide a framework for enhancing the teaching of fundamental basic biological concepts to students. The trichomes are easy to study in a classroom setting and materials generated from this grant will be made available to 6-12 grade and undergraduate classrooms. These materials will aid in understanding the basic concepts of heredity as well as more advanced concepts concerning protein-protein interaction. The actual focus of this research will be on an Arabidopsis mutant that exhibits unusual trichomes. The gene mutation responsible for the abnormal trichome development has been identified and found to be in a gene (called GL3) that is likely required for regulating the expression of many genes during trichome development. Furthermore, the protein encoded by the GL3 gene is known to interact with other proteins. This grant will fund the analysis of this mutant gene addressing such questions as: How does the GL3 mutation affect the ability of the resulting altered GL3 protein to interact with other proteins? Why does the mutation cause the trichomes to develop abnormally? Can mutations in other genes suppress the mutation in GL3? The answers to these questions will increase our knowledge of many basic cellular processes such as cell division, cell expansion, cell differentiation, and gene regulation.