Transcriptional Regulators Link Patterning and Proliferation during Carpel Margin and Ovule Development

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The mechanisms that coordinate cellular proliferation and three-dimensional positional information during organ development are poorly understood. Accurate regulation of these control mechanisms is important because they affect a diversity of biological events from reproductive development to the cancerous growth of cells. The investigators are using the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana to study the coordination of patterning and cell proliferation during the development of the seed pod. The investigators apply molecular genetic and genomic approaches to understand the control of gene expression at the level of transcription. Their work seeks to clarify the role of a family of transcriptional regulatory proteins that coordinate the proliferation of cells that generate ovules, the precursors of the seeds. By turning on and off genes during the development of the seed pod, these transcriptional regulators determine where, when and to what extent seeds will develop within the seed pod. The investigators hope that a better understanding of these biological events will enable the generation of higher yielding seed crops as well as shed light on organ development and cancerous growth in animals. The project also includes training opportunities for postdoctoral researchers and graduate and undergraduate students. Results from the project will be widely disseminated through publication in research journals and the internet. Furthermore, the primary investigator leads an outreach group of University researchers, from professors to undergraduates, that designs and presents hands-on demonstrations in North Carolina classrooms. These visits serve to excite local K-12 students about questions in genetics and developmental biology. This person-to-person contact with children and their teachers will bring an enthusiasm for science and science education to the wider community.