Plant Developmental Biology Methods and Protocols
The beauty and variety of plants has fascinated mankind for thousands of years, and this fascination continues today as plant developmental biologists discover mechanisms that control the establishment of specialized cell types, tissues, and organs from t
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1. Introduction Research in plant developmental biology depends critically on robust growth protocols that will support reproducible development. Although Arabidopsis thaliana is the dominating model species for plant developmental biology, other species serve as models for processes that cannot be studied in Arabidopsis, such as compound leaf or wood formation, or to test the universality of developmental mechanisms initially identified in Arabidopsis. A. thaliana is a member of the mustard family (Brassicaceae) with a broad natural distribution throughout Europe, Asia, and North America, and many accessions (ecotypes) can be obtained from stock centers. The most commonly used accessions are Columbia and Landsberg erecta. Arabidopsis has a life cycle of only 6 weeks (for a review about Arabidopsis as model species, see (1)). L. Hennig, C. Köhler (eds.), Plant Developmental Biology, Methods in Molecular Biology 655, DOI 10.1007/978-1-60761-765-5_1, © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010
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Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) is a member of the speedwell family (Plantaginaceae) and native to the Mediterranean. A. majus has a life cycle of 3–4 months. It has been used as a model for biochemical and developmental genetics for about a century, and many developmental regulatory genes were identified in A. majus by transposon tagging. A. majus is used to study processes such as the specification of flower and floral organ identity and leaf and flower asymmetry (for a review about A. majus as model species, see (2)). Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a domesticated member of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) and originated in western South America. Interesting developmental features of tomato include fleshy fruits, sympodial shoots, and compound leaves. Micro-Tom is an extremely small tomato variety (10–20 cm high), and due to its low-space requirements it is widely used for molecular research (3) (for a review about tomato as model species, see (4)). Petunia is another member of the nightshade family originating from South America. P. hybrida, a hybrid of P. axillaris and P. integrifolia, is most commonly used in research. P. hybrida has a life cycle of only 8–12 weeks. A major attraction of P. hybrida is the presence of the extremely active endogenous dTph1 transposon system, which allows for efficient forward and reverse genetics (for reviews about Petunia as model species, see (5, 6)). Barrel medic (Medicago truncatula) is a member of the pea family (Fabaceae) and native to the Mediterranean. It has a small diploid genome, is self-fertile, has a rapid generation time and prolific seed production and is also amenable to genetic transformation. Plants are 10- to 60-cm high. M. truncatula has a life cycle of 3–4 months. It serves mainly as model for nodulation and symbioses with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia, Sinorhizobium meliloti, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (for a review about M. truncatula as model species, see (7)). Rice (Oryza sativa) is a member of the grass family (Poaceae) and native to tropical and
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