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Updated: Jun 30, 2025

Author Spotlight: Image-Based Methods to Study Membrane Trafficking Events in Stomatal Lineage Cells
Published on: May 12, 2023
Spatiotemporal formation of glands in plants is modulated by MYB-like transcription factors
Jiang Chang1, Shurong Wu1, Ting You1
1College of Horticulture, FAFU-UCR Joint Center for Horticultural Biology and Metabolomics, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.
Abstract:
About one third of vascular plants develop glandular trichomes, which produce defensive compounds that repel herbivores and act as a natural biofactory for important pharmaceuticals such as artemisinin and cannabinoids. However, only a few regulators of glandular structures have been characterized so far. Here we have identified two closely-related MYB-like genes that redundantly inhibit the formation of glandular cells in tomatoes, and they are named as GLAND CELL REPRESSOR (GCR) 1 and 2. The GCR genes highly express in the apical cells of tomato trichomes, with expression gradually diminishing as the cells transition into glands. The spatiotemporal expression of GCR genes is coordinated by a two-step inhibition process mediated by SlTOE1B and GCRs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the GCR genes act by suppressing Leafless (LFS), a gene that promotes gland formation. Intriguingly, homologous GCR genes from tobacco and petunia also inhibit gland formation, suggesting that the GCR-mediated repression mechanism likely represents a conserved regulatory pathway for glands across different plant species.
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