Int. J. Dev. Biol. 49: 579 - 584 (2005)
doi: 10.1387/ijdb.051983ss
© UPV/EHU Press
Epidermal differentiation: trichomes in Arabidopsis as a model system
Swen Schellmann and Martin Hülskamp*
University of Köln, Botanical Institute III, Köln, Germany
ABSTRACT Arabidopsis trichomes are an excellent model system to study all aspects of cell differentiation including cell fate determination, cell cycle regulation, cell polarity and cell expansion. Genetic analysis had initially identified mutants affecting trichome development at different developmental stages. During recent years, molecular analysis of the corresponding genes has revealed a first glimpse of the underlying molecular mechanisms. This paper summarizes some of the recent insights regarding the mechanisms of trichome development.
Keywords:trichome, Arabidopsis, cytoskeleton, patterning, differentiation
*Corresponding author e-mail: martin.huelskamp@uni-koeln.de