Rotation 1: Understanding the mechanism of trichome development in Hibiscus

开花植物花瓣上的彩色图案对吸引传粉者至关重要，并直接有助于物种的繁殖成功。这些图案非常复杂，结合了构成花瓣表皮的细胞的色素沉着、形状和质地的变化。此外，花瓣图案涉及到毛状体的产生，毛状体在形态、分布和功能方面表现出显著的多样性，尽管这种多样性没有得到广泛的研究。毛状体的出现是由于表皮细胞根据其在花瓣中的位置获得不同的“毛状体命运”，但控制这一过程的机制尚不完全清楚。为了研究不同的毛状体模式是如何产生的，我将以三叉戟木槿为例，它展示了七种毛状体类型，它们在形态、花瓣上的位置、数量和间距上都有所不同。因此，在研究单一物种中不同毛状体形态和空间分布的发展过程中，三角蓼的花瓣是一个很好的模型系统。首先，我将描述花瓣发育过程中每种毛状体类型的形成和空间模式。随后，我将探索负责控制这些不同毛状体类型形成和分布的基因调控网络。最后，除了探索毛体多样性的进化过程外，我还将开始研究其中一种毛体形式腺毛的潜在功能。

BBSRC strategic theme: Bioscience for sustainable agriculture and foodThe colorful patterns on the petals of flowering plants are crucial for attracting pollinators and directly contribute to the reproductive success of a species. These patterns are highly intricate, combining variations in pigmentation, shape, and texture of the cells that comprise the petal epidermis. Additionally, petal patterns involve the production of 'hairs' known as trichomes, which exhibit remarkable diversity in terms of morphology, distribution, and functions, although this diversity is not extensively studied. Trichomes emerge as epidermal cells acquire distinct 'trichome fates' based on their location in the petal, yet the mechanisms governing this process are not fully understood.To investigate how distinct trichome patterns arise, I will use Hibiscus trionum, which exhibits seven trichome types that vary in morphology, position on the petal, as well as in number and spacing. Consequently, the petal of H. trionum serves as an excellent model system for studying the processes underlying the development of diverse trichome morphologies and spatial distributions within a single species. Initially, I will characterize the formation and spatial patterning of each trichome type during petal development. Subsequently, I will explore the gene regulatory networks responsible for governing the formation and distribution of these distinct trichome types. Finally, I will begin to investigate the potential functions of one of these trichome forms, glandular trichomes, in addition to exploring the evolutionary processes that give rise to trichome diversity.