Introduction

Transcriptional regulation plays a key role in determining growth and development of both animals and plants. Precise spatial and temporal regulation of regulatory genes or effecter genes can determine if a cell will grow or die, or if a cell will develop into a stamen or a carpel, or if a disease resistance gene can be turned on or off. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the spatial and temporal-specific transcription of target genes has the utmost importance and far-reaching implications.

Our lab has been focused on understanding how several transcriptional repressors, LEUNIG (LUG), SEUSS (SEU), and BELLRINGER (BLR), act to regulate diverse biological processes using Arabidopsis thaliana as our model system. Most of our work has been centered on dissecting the transcriptional repression of AGAMOUS (AG), a key regulator of floral organ identity and floral meristem determinacy. We have now expanded our work to include the study of how these transcriptional repressors act in other developmental or physiological processes including plant's stress responses.

Another area of our research centers on cell division regulation. We have identified and characterized a new class of mutants defined by the tso1 and tso2 mutants. These mutants develop abnormal floral organ and leaf morphology and exhibit meristem bifurcation and fasciation. For more specific information, please click on the Research page.