The evolution of plants from water onto land involved the development of systems for projecting their photosynthetic and reproductive organs up into the atmosphere. Xylem tissue is just such a system for it transports the water up to the leaves and its strength provides essential physical support. Sap is conducted through xylem tracheary elements (TEs) – hollow tubes whose collapse is prevented by patterned thickenings of secondary cell wall.
The aim of my work is to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying the differentiation processes and more specifically the secondary cell wall formation of xylem vessels of both Arabidopsis (the genetic plant model) and Populus (the genetic tree model). The identification of key regulatory genes modulating xylem vessels cell wall formation will allow transgenic modification of the process to better understand how xylem/wood formation is controlled.
Key publicationsPesquet E, Korolev AV, Calder G, Lloyd CW The microtubule-associated protein AtMAP70-5 regulates secondary wall patterning in Arabidopsis wood cells. Current Biology: 2010 20:744-749
Endo S, Pesquet E, Tashiro G, Udagawa-Motose M, Kubo M, Fukuda H, Demura T Identifying new components participating in the secondary cell wall formation of vessel elements in Zinnia and Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell: 2009 21:1155-1165
Endo S, Pesquet E, Tashiro G, Kuriyama H, Goffner D, Fukuda H, Demura T Transient transformation and RNA silencing in Zinnia tracheary element differentiating cell cultures. The Plant Journal: 2008 53:864-875
Pesquet E, Ranocha P, Legay S, Digonnet C, Barbier O, Pichon M, Goffner D Novel markers of xylogenesis in Zinnia are differentially regulated by auxin and cytokinin. Plant Physiology: 2005 139:1821-1839
Pesquet E, Barbier O, Ranocha P, Jauneau A, Goffner D Multiple gene detection by in situ RT-PCR in isolated plant cells and tissues. The Plant Journal: 2004 39:947-959
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