Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons^™

Novel Mutations That Affect Stomata Development In Arabidopsis Thaliana, John Woodson Marshal Collins, William J. Carmack

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Located on the epidermal surface of plants, stomata are small, pore-like structures that act as channels to exchange gas and water vapor between plant cells and the environment. Concentrations of gases and water within the plant cell are regulated through opening and closing of the stomata by turgor-driven movements. In Arabidopsis thaliana, development and differentiation of cells is controlled by the ERECTA (ER) family of genes (ERECTA, ERL1, and ERL2) which encode leucine-rich repeat-receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs). Acting synergistically, they direct cell division in different tissues and formation of stomata in epidermis. To better understand how ERECTA family genes regulate stomata …