Orthologs ofArabidopsis thalianastomatal bHLH genes and regulation of stomatal development in grasses

• DOI: 10.1242/dev.032938
• Publication Date: 2009-06-05T18:24:28Z
• Authors: Tie Liu; Kyoko Ohashi-Ito; Dominique C. Berg...
• Keywords: Epidermis (zoology)

Stomata are adjustable pores in the plant epidermis that regulate gas exchange between and atmosphere; they present on aerial portions of most higher plants. Genetic pathways controlling stomatal development distribution have been described some detail for one dicot species, Arabidopsis, which three paralogous bHLH transcription factors, FAMA, MUTE SPCH, control discrete sequential stages development. Orthologs SPCH other flowering This observation is particular interest when considering grasses, because both morphology guard cells their tissue distributions differ substantially Arabidopsis this group. By examining gene expression patterns, insertional mutants cross-species complementation studies, we find evidence FAMA function conserved monocots dicots, despite different morphologies, whereas roles two paralogs somewhat divergent.