Positional Signaling in Arabidopsis Root Epidermis Development

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

Name: John Schiefelbein Proposal Number: IOS-0744599 Title: Positional Signaling in Arabidopsis Root Epidermis Development Normal development is characterized by the formation of cells, tissues, and organs in appropriate places and patterns. A major challenge in the field of developmental biology is to understand how distinct cell types arise in appropriate patterns. This project will address this issue by using root epidermis development in Arabidopsis as a simple model. In prior work, a new receptor (named SCRAMBLED (SCM)) was found to play a critical role in enabling developing epidermal cells to interpret their position relative to the underlying root cells. A working model was proposed whereby the SCM receptor influences a network of transcriptional regulators in a position-dependent manner to generate the observed cell-type pattern in the root epidermis. In this research project, this model will be tested by analyzing the accumulation and the specific function of the SCM receptor using molecular and genetic methods. In addition, new genes that are likely to act in a SCM-related manner will be identified in a genetic screen and in a differential expression-based microarray screen. The research results are expected to provide exciting new insights into the molecular regulation of cell specification and pattern formation during the development of multicellular organisms. Further, this project will have a broader impact in several areas. It will provide educational opportunities for undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral students in modern biological research. The project will also provide information and educational material to the Arabidopsis research community and the general public, via a website (http://www.mcdb.lsa.umich.edu/labs/schiefel/index.html). Furthermore, the results will be incorporated into formal educational activities, including a new undergraduate developmental biology course and an interdisciplinary training program for undergraduates in biological and mathematical sciences, which immerses students in laboratory and theoretical research.