Identification and Characterization of Maize salmon silks Genes Involved in Insecticidal Maysin Biosynthesis.

The century-old maize (Zea mays) salmon silks mutation has been linked to the absence of maysin. Maysin is a C-glycosyl flavone that, when present in silks, confers natural resistance to the maize earworm (Helicoverpa zea), which is one of the most damaging pests of maize in America. Previous genetic analyses predicted Pericarp Color1 (P1; R2R3-MYB transcription factor) to be epistatic to the sm mutation.

High-resolution computational imaging of leaf hair patterning using polarized light microscopy.

The leaf hairs (trichomes) on the aerial surface of many plant species play important roles in phytochemical production and herbivore protection, and have significant applications in the chemical and agricultural industries. Trichome formation in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana also presents a tractable experimental system to study cell differentiation and pattern formation in plants and animals. Studies of this developmental process suggest that trichome positioning may be the result of a self-forming pattern, emerging from a lateral inhibition mechanism determined by a network of regulatory factors.