BACKGROUND AND AIMS Micro-morphological characteristics can influence fungal infectivity. We sought links between micro-morphology and resistance to powdery mildew in mulberry with the intention of assisting selection of disease-resistant lines. METHODOLOGY Over 3 years and under field conditions, we evaluated 30 lines of mulberry with contrasting susceptibilities to powdery mildew (15 resist...

Trichomes are specialized epidermal cells that generally play a role in reducing transpiration and act as a deterrent to herbivory. In a screen of activation-tagged Populus tremula × Populus alba 717-1B4 trees, we identified a mutant line, fuzzy, with increased foliar trichome density. This mutant also had a 35% increase in growth rate and a 200% increase in the rate of photosynthesis as compar...

The development of Arabidopsis thaliana epidermal cells includes the differentiation of trichomes and root hairs. The TRANSPARENT TESTA GLABRA 1 (TTG1) gene encodes a WD40 protein that induces trichome differentiation and reduces root hair formation in Arabidopsis. The CAPRICE (CPC) gene family includes CPC, ENHANCER OF TRY AND CPC1 (ETC1), ENHANCER OF TRY AND CPC2 (ETC2), and CPC LIKE MYB3 (CP...

Arabidopsis LEAFY COTYLEDON1 (LEC1) transcription factor is a master regulator that shapes plant embryo development and post-embryonic seedling establishment. Loss-of-function of LEC1 alters the cotyledon identity, causing the formation of ectopic trichomes, which does not occur in wild-type seedlings, implying that LEC1 might regulate embryonic cell fate determination during post-embryonic dev...

How cell shape is controlled is a fundamental question in developmental biology, but the genetic and molecular mechanisms that determine cell shape are largely unknown. Arabidopsis trichomes have been used as a good model system to investigate cell shape at the single-cell level. Here we describe the trichome cell shape 1 (tcs1) mutants with the reduced trichome branch number in Arabidopsis. TC...

Type A glandular trichomes of the wild potato (Solanum berthaultii Hawkes) entrap insects by rapidly polymerizing the trichome contents after breakage by insect contact. Polymerization of trichome exudate appears to be driven by a soluble polyphenol oxidase (PPO). PPO constitutes up to 70% of the protein in individually collected trichomes and reaches a concentration approaching 200 mum in thes...

Trichomes are specialized epidermal cells located on aerial parts of plants and are associated with a wide array of biological processes. Trichomes protect plants from adverse conditions including UV light and herbivore attack and are also an important source of a number of phytochemicals. The simple unicellular trichomes of Arabidopsis serve as an excellent model to study molecular mechanism o...

Trichomes are specialized epidermal cells located in aerial parts of plants that function in plant defense against biotic and abiotic stresses. The simple unicellular trichomes of Arabidopsis serve as an excellent model to study the molecular mechanism of cell differentiation and pattern formation in plants. Loss-of-function mutations in Arabidopsis thaliana have suggested that the core genes G...

Plant trichomes are specialized epidermal protrusions that, depending on species, are located on the surfaces of leaves, stems, petioles, sepals, seed coats, and other aerial organs. Trichomes not only defend plants against biotic and environmental hazard, but also are able to synthesize, store, and secrete a large number of specialized (secondary) metabolites, including those with significant ...

The GLABRA3 gene is a major regulator of trichome patterning in Arabidopsis thaliana. The regulatory regions important for the trichome-specific expression of GL3 have not been characterized yet. In this study, we used a combination of marker and rescue constructs to determine the relevant promoter regions. We demonstrate that a 1 kb 5' region combined with the second intron is sufficient to re...