Date: 15th November 2023
Time: 13:00
Title: Adding a piece to the leaf epidermis puzzle: Towards a better understanding of cell shape acquisition
Location: Lecture room B7, Forest Science building, Latokartanonkaari 7-9 and remotely via Zoom
Host: Anna Happonen
Abstract: As the most external tissue layer, the plant epidermis is a key component of the interface with the environment and plays a major role in adjusting morphogenesis, for which a tight control of cell shape acquisition is needed. The presence of the cell wall complexifies cell shape acquisition but it provides support and protection to the cell and thus has to be fairly rigid but also flexible to allow growth. The phytohormone auxin is one of the factors stimulating cell growth by inducing wall loosening and modifying specific gene expression. Using jigsaw puzzle-shaped leaf epidermal pavement cells of Arabidopsis as a remarkably synchronous model of cell shape development, we are working on unraveling the molecular pathways controlling cell shape determination.
We are focusing on plant hormone transport and signaling, cell wall biology, cell biology, endomembrane trafficking, and chemical genomics. One aspect of our lab's research is to dissect auxin biology using chemical genetics. We have identified specific compounds that affect hormone transport and signaling. Furthermore, we are interested in cell shape acquisition and have shown that cell shape determination is dependent on the heterogeneity of cell wall mechanical properties and composition, along with the establishment of phytohormone gradients.