GAL4/GFP enhancer-trap lines for identification and manipulation of cells and tissues in developing Arabidopsis leaves.

Abstract

Understanding developmental processes requires the unambiguous identification of cells and tissues, and the selective manipulation of the properties of those cells and tissues. Both requirements can most efficiently be satisfied through the use of GAL4/GFP enhancer-trap lines. No such lines, however, have been characterized for the study of early leaf development in the Columbia-0 reference genotype of Arabidopsis. Here we address this limitation by identifying and characterizing a set of GAL4/GFP enhancer-trap lines in the Columbia-0 background for the specific labeling of cells and tissues during early leaf development, and for the targeted expression of genes of interest in those cells and tissues. By using one line in our set to address outstanding questions in leaf vein patterning, we show that these lines can be used to address key questions in plant developmental biology.