Abstract
Trichomes are large epidermal cells on the surface of leaves that are thought to deter herbivores, yet the presence of trichomes can also negatively impact plant growth and reproduction. Stomatal guard cells and trichomes have shared developmental origins, and experimental manipulation of trichome formation can lead to changes in stomatal density. The influence of trichome formation upon stomatal development in natural populations of plants is currently unknown. Here, we show that a natural population of Arabidopsis halleri that includes hairy (trichome‐bearing) and glabrous (no trichomes) morphs has differences in stomatal density that are associated with this trichome dimorphism. We found that glabrous morphs had significantly greater stomatal density and stomatal index than hairy morphs. One interpretation is that this arises from a trade‐off between the proportions of cells that have trichome and guard cell fates during leaf development. The differences in stomatal density between the two morphs might have impacts upon environmental adaptation, in addition to herbivory deterrence caused by trichome development.
Highlights
In Arabidopsis, trichomes are large epidermal cells that protrude from the surface of the leaves and petioles
We found that the trichome formation dimorphism was accompanied by a difference in stomatal density (Fig. 2A; Fig. S1; Supplemental Dataset S1)
Fully-expanded leaves of glabrous morphs had significantly greater stomatal density on the adaxial surface compared with hairy-leaved morphs (glabrous: 30.7 ± 2.8 stomata mm-2; hairy: 23.6 ± 2.3 stomata mmindex of the adaxial surface was significantly greater in glabrous morphs (18.04 ± 0.92)
Summary
In Arabidopsis, trichomes are large epidermal cells that protrude from the surface of the leaves and petioles. Trichomes play important roles in both biotic defences and abiotic stress tolerance (Levin, 1973; Mauricio and Rausher, 1997; Handley et al, 2005; Dalin et al., 2008; Sletvold et al, 2010; Sletvold and Ågren, 2012; Sato and Kudoh, 2016). Trichome development appears to impose a fitness cost on growth and reproduction (Mauricio, 1998; Sletvold et al, 2010; Kawagoe et al, 2011; Sletvold and Ågren, 2012; Sato and Kudoh, 2016). Stomatal guard cells represent another specialized cell type that is present on the leaf surface. There might be a trade-off between trichome and stomatal guard cell development during leaf formation (Glover et al, 1998)
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