Overview   

It is possible to take a single cell from a plant, expose it to appropriate hormones, and thereby initiate a sequence of events that culminates with a new plant. The hormone acts on the outer surface of the cell but development is controlled by DNA in the nucleus. How is the signal from hormone to DNA transmitted?

Proteins that phosphorylate other proteins are crucial in regulating cell division of animal cells. Indeed, a breakdown in the signal transduction pathway mediated by protein phosphorylation is an important step in carcinogenesis. We have expressed in tobacco and a small weed, Arabidopsis, genes that encode enzymes responsible for the phosphorylation or dephosphorylation of compoments in the signal transduction pathway. The results are often dramatic, e.g. tobacco plants that generate extra shoots or produce flowers extremely early. Those pursuing this project are continuing efforts to isolate other genes in the signal perception and transduction pathways and analyze how plant cell growth and differentiation are regulated by these genes.

Current participants  

Wan-Ling Chiu (research scientist)

Marc Meulener (senior)

Activation of a plant MAP kinase pathway, possibly important in
hormonal signal transduction

Monette Castillo (senior)  

Construction of a molecular marker for an embryogenesis pathway
in plants

Laura Asakura (junior)  

Expression pattern of a plant dual-specificity protein phosphatase

Michael Switzer (junior)  

Isolation of genes important in plant growth and differentiation
using enhancer tagging