Plant Physiol, December 2002, Vol. 130, pp. 1747-1753
Enhancer Trap Expression Patterns Provide a Novel Teaching
Resource1
Matt
Geisler,
Barbara
Jablonska, and
Patricia S.
Springer*
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, Center for Plant Cell
Biology, University of California, Riverside, California
92521-0124
A collection of Arabidopsis enhancer trap transposants has been
identified for use as a teaching tool. This collection serves to assist
students in understanding the patterning and organization of plant
tissues and cells, and will be useful in plant anatomy, morphology, and
developmental biology courses. Each transposant exhibits reporter gene
expression in a specific tissue, cell type, or domain, and these lines
collectively offer a glimpse of compartments of gene expression. Some
compartments correspond to classical definitions of botanical anatomy
and can assist in anatomical identification. Other patterns of reporter
gene expression are more complex and do not necessarily correspond to
known anatomical features. The sensitivity of the 
-glucuronidase
histochemical stain provides the student with a colorful and direct way
to visualize difficult aspects of plant development and anatomy, and
provides the teacher with an invaluable tool for a practical laboratory session.
1
This work was supported by the National Science
Foundation (grant no. IBN-9875371 to P.S.S.) and by the Southwest
Consortium (grant no. 99-N02 to P.S.S.).
*
Corresponding author; e-mail patricia.springer{at}ucr.edu; fax
909-787-4437.
© 2002 American Society of Plant Biologists
