Trichomes as models for studying plant cell differentiation

Abstract

Trichomes, originating from epidermal cells, are present on nearly all terrestrial plants. They exist in diverse forms, are readily accessible, and serve as an excellent model system for analyzing the molecular mechanisms in plant cell differentiation, including cell fate choices, cell cycle control, and cell morphogenesis. In Arabidopsis, two regulatory models have been identified that function in parallel in trichome formation; the activator-inhibitor model and the activator-depletion model. Cotton fiber, a similar unicellular structure, is controlled by some functional homologues of Arabidopsis trichome-patterning genes. Multicellular trichomes, as in tobacco and tomato, may form through a distinct pathway from unicellular trichomes. Recent research has shown that cell cycle control participates in trichome formation. In this review, we summarize the molecular mechanisms involved in the formation of unicellular and multicellular trichomes, and discuss the integration of the cell cycle in its initiation and morphogenesis.

Salt bladders: do they matter?

“…What do we need to know about salt bladder function and development in order to achieve this goal? While such studies are absent in halophytes, epidermal cell patterning and trichome formation are well-studied in Arabidopsis [25][26][27][28]; anatomically, salt bladders are considered to be modified trichomes [29]. By drawing an analogy with this cell type, the following simplified model can be suggested.…”

Biotechnological aspects of cytoskeletal regulation in plants

“…plants (Yang and Ye, 2013). Cotton fibers are an excellent source of relatively clean cellulose which is deposited during cotton fiber elongation and represent a major material for textile industry among others (Mansoor and Paterson, 2012).…”

The Hairless Stem Phenotype of Cotton (Gossypium barbadense) Is Linked to a Copia-Like Retrotransposon Insertion in a Homeodomain-Leucine Zipper Gene (HD1)

“…By contrast, very little is known about the molecular mechanism of trichome growth in cotton. Although some cotton homologs of Arabidopsis trichome genes have been cloned and found to be related to cotton fiber and trichome growth (Yang and Ye 2013), there is no direct evidence that confirms which gene(s) is(are) critical to cotton trichome growth and how the genes regulate trichome growth and development collectively. Classic genetic studies have revealed that cotton stem and leaf trichomes are mainly controlled by a dominant gene (T1) located on chromosome 6 (A) in tetraploid cotton (Wright et al 1999) and its homoeologous chromosome LG A03 of diploid A genome species (Rong et al 2005;Desai et al 2008;He et al 2013).…”