Transcriptional regulation of trichome development in plants: an overview

Abstract

Trichomes are specialized structures derived from epidermal cells. Apart from providing protection to plants, trichomes are source of medicinally important compounds. Although genes involved in initiation and patterning of trichomes have been characterized in some plants like Arabidopsis thaliana, but our knowledge about the development of these trichomes is still limited. Recent studies confirm the role of different transcription factors in trichome development of plants. In model plant Arabidopsis different transcription factor families have been studied in detail. It has been found that transcription factors like bHLH, R2R3 MYB form an activation complex with TTG1 which initiate trichome formation while as R3 MYB type transcription factors inhibit the formation of activation complex. The activation complex acts as a major trigger in the regulation of trichome development. It would be interesting to know whether such activation complex occurs in other plants like Nicotiana tobaccum, Lycopersicum esculentum, Artemisia annua etc. In this review, we focus on recent updates on transcriptional regulation of trichome development and conservation of these regulators in various species of pharmacologically and economically important plants. We have briefly discussed the cross talk of transcription factors with different hormones during trichome development. Further we have elaborated fundamental research ideologies on trichome development and translation of this research from model plant to plants of industrial interest.