Abstract
What controls "size" is a fundamental question in biology but intrinsic mechanisms that mediate this control still remain largely unknown. My laboratory is focused on studying the molecular mechanisms that determine cell and organ size in plants. Many cell types in plants increase their nuclear DNA content or ploidy through endoreduplication in which cells replicate their chromosomal DNA without intervening mitoses. Previous studies demonstrate strong correlations between ploidy levels and cell/organ sizes, and we are trying to understand how the endocycle progression is developmentally regulated and how an increase in ploidy modifies plant growth. In this talk I will describe our recent work on a SUMO E3 ligase involved in the endocycle control during the meristem development as well as on a trihelix transcription factor GTL1 required for ploidy-dependent cell growth in trichome development. Based on these studies, I will discuss how the cell cycle progression links with plant growth and development.
