Developmental innovations of stomatal form and function in grasses

细胞如何获得特定的身份仍然是现代生物学中最基本的问题之一。植物气孔是植物叶片表面调节植物与大气之间气体交换的小而可调节的阀门，它提供了一个杰出的发育、进化和生理模式系统。与大多数其他植物不同，包括三种最重要的粮食作物水稻、玉米和小麦在内的草科植物在气孔中增加了辅助细胞，以帮助草类植物更有效地“呼吸”。我将利用新兴的模式草短柄草（Brachypodium distachyon）来了解草是如何招募SCs的，SCs的分子身份是什么，以及SCs如何增强气孔生理。为了建立SC形成和功能的全面基因调控网络，我的实验室将在短掌草中使用比较和细胞类型特异性转录组学，并将其与发育中的草表皮的延时成像“路线图”联系起来。最后，我将利用经典的遗传学和生理学方法探索具有不同光合生活方式的进化遥远物种的气孔形式和功能。我的愿景是在许多不同的作物中设计SC特性，以提高植物生产力，为子孙后代提供食物、纤维和燃料。

How cells acquire a specific identity remains one of the most fundamental questions in modern biology. Plant stomata--small, adjustable valves on the leaf surface regulating gas exchange between plant and atmosphere--offer an outstanding developmental, evolutionary and physiological model system. Unlike most other plants, the grass family, which includes the three most important food crops rice, maize and wheat, add subsidiary cells to their stomata to help grasses "breathe" more efficiently. I will use the emerging model grass Brachypodium distachyon to understand how grasses recruit SCs, what the molecular identity of SCs is, and how SCs enhance stomatal physiology. To build a comprehensive gene regulatory network of SC formation and function, my lab will use comparative and cell-type specific transcriptomics in Brachypodium and link this to a time-lapse imaging "roadmap" of the developing grass epidermis. Finally, I will explore stomatal form and function in evolutionary distant species with distinct photosynthetic lifestyles using classical genetics and physiology approaches. My vision is to engineer SC properties in many different crops to enhance plant productivity and provide food, fiber, and fuel for future generations.