Showing papers by "Claire S. Grierson published in 2001"

Arabidopsis genes with roles in root hair development

Abstract: After a decade of Arabidopsis genetics many genes with important roles in root hair development have been identified. Mutants have been used to discover genes, define their roles, and identify their DNA sequences. Plant growth regulator signaling and transcription factor genes determine which root epidermal cells form hairs. A network of gene activity has been characterized that produces a swelling on the surface of each hair cell and a single tubular outgrowth from each swelling. The molecular functions of some genes in this network have been revealed. We are approaching a molecular understanding of root hair development that will provide exciting opportunities in plant cell biology and physiology.

Biolistic transformation of Arabidopsis root hairs: a novel technique to facilitate map‐based cloning

Abstract: The final stage of map-based gene isolation is complementation of the mutant phenotype with wild-type DNA to determine the exact location of the gene of interest. This usually involves Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation, which is reliable and produces stable transformants. However, the process of Agrobacterium transformation may take up to three months to complete. If the mutant phenotype can be seen in a single cell, and the wild-type copy of the gene can act cell autonomously, then complementation of the whole plant is not strictly necessary. We have developed a technique for the biolistic transformation of Arabidopsis thaliana root hairs, and used this to test large insert clones for complementation of two recessive mutant phenotypes, a procedure that takes less than a day. Our results show that biolistic transformation can be used with transient assays to conduct rapid tests for complementation by large insert clones.