CAREER: Dissecting the Small Peptide Signal in Regulating Vascular Stem Cell Proliferation and Xylem Differentiation

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Cells with the potential to change into all tissue types need to be maintained during the development of any organism. In plants, these cells can generate the conducting tissues for water and nutrients. The woody part of the conducting tissue provides physical strength for plants and forms the majority of biomass on Earth. This project studies how these cells balance the functions of self-renewal and change to produce plant conducting tissues. Results from this research will provide important insights into the critical biological processes involved in woody tissue development. Knowledge gained from this research will also advance the genetic improvement of feedstock plants for biofuel production. This project integrates research and education by engaging underrepresented students and outreach to K-12 education. The Principal Investigator will actively recruit underrepresented minority students into this research. These students will gain hands-on training in molecular techniques and will be involved in all aspects of the research project. The Windham School District is a system of greatest need as measured by No Child Left Behind standards, with minorities representing 64% of the student body. The Principal Investigator will provide training and research opportunities for science teachers and students at Windham High School. These activities complement the University's Academic plan and the focus areas of "Next Generation Connecticut."Plant vascular tissues play essential roles in plant growth and development, and have allowed plant species to successfully adapt to a wide variety of environments since they evolved 450 million year ago. Despite the importance of vascular tissues to plant development and biomass accumulation, the vascular meristem is the least studied of the three plant meristems. The small peptide Tracheary element Differentiation Factor (TDIF) binds to its receptor (TDR) and regulates vascular stem cell functions, but the molecular mechanism of TDIF-TDR on regulating xylem differentiation and vascular patterning are still elusive. In this project, a novel NAC domain transcription factor XVP (Xylem differentiation and Vascular Patterning) has been found to regulate stem cell proliferation, xylem differentiation and vascular patterning. The objectives of this project are: (1) To determine the functional mechanism of XVP in vascular meristem development using genetics, molecular biology, and biochemical techniques. (2) To elucidate the function of XVP in regulating stem cell proliferation by identifying XVP direct target genes. (3) To define the interaction between XVP and the transcriptional network in regulating xylem differentiation using biochemical and genetic approaches.