9727959 Jackson This proposal addresses the question of how plant cells communicate with each other to coordinate their development. The PIs are studying intercellular transport -- the movement of proteins and other molecules from one plant cell into another. This process takes place through small channels, celled plasmodesmata, that connect plant cells and allow them to communicate with their neighbors. The PIs are focusing specifically on the KNOTTED1 (KN1) protein in maize. This protein is in a class of transcription factors called homeodomain proteins that are vital to orchestrating the development of many organisms. In maize the kn1 related genes are expressed in the meristem, the developmental heart of the flowering plant. The PIs found previously that the KN1 protein is able to move or traffic between plant cells, and this process may be important in coordinating the development of the plant. The PIs will use fluorescent labels to observe KN1, as it moves from one cell to the next; ultimately the PIs hope to elucidate the mechanisms and pathways involved in its intercellular transport. This work holds great promise for agricultural applications; the mechanisms of cell to cell trafficking that are discovered will likely apply not only to cellular proteins like KN1, but also to viral pathogens that cause considerable damage to farm crops each year.
