The vascular prepattern enhancer trap marks early vascular development in arabidopsis.

Vascular development is a fundamental component of leaf morphogenesis, and the mechanisms that control vascular patterning are poorly understood. We report here the identification of an enhancer trap line, Vascular Prepattern (VPP), that acts as a marker for early vascular development. GUS reporter gene expression in VPP was detected in provascular cells from the earliest stages of primary midvein formation in leaf primordia and subsequently coincided with the early specification of higher order veins. GUS expression in VPP also marks the quiescent center cells of the root apical meristem at all stages of root development. VPP provides a marker for early vascular development and will be a useful tool for studying vascular patterning.