Professor
Ph.D., University of East Anglia, 1991
Plant development; genetics; cell-to-cell mRNA and protein trafficking

Plant development; stem cell signaling; genomics and imaging

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We are studying the control of morphogenesis in plants, using maize and Arabidopsis as model systems. Plants grow and develop new organs throughout their lives from groups of stem cells called meristems. Meristems are situated at the growing tips of shoots and roots. We are investigating the shoot apical meristem, which is responsible for the production of new leaves and flowers. By studying mutations that perturb the functions of the shoot meristem, we hope to understand how this elusive organ functions. Specifically, we are examining mutations in maize that affect the pattern of leaf initiation and meristem size. Using these mutants, we hope to isolate the genes involved and ultimately define the molecular mechanisms that control meristem activity.

An essential gene involved in meristem function is the knotted1 (kn1) gene of maize. This gene is expressed in the shoot meristem, encodes a homeodomain protein—a class of proteins that is also important in animal development. Mutations in kn1 affect the self-maintenance of the meristem. We recently demonstrated that the KN1 protein can pass from cell-to-cell through plasmodesmata, suggesting a novel mechanism by which plant cells communicate and coordinate their development. We are investigating the regulation of cell-to-cell movement (trafficking) of KN1 as a model for understanding the developmental significance of plasmodesmal trafficking of plant proteins. These studies might identify novel strategies for controlling plant pathogenic viruses, which also traffic through plasmodesmata to spread their infection.

Please visit the Jackson Lab home page.

Selected Publications

Benitez-Alfonso, Y., Cilia, M., SanRoman, A., Thomas, C., Maule, A., Hearn, S. and Jackson, D. 2009.Control of Arabidopsis Meristem Development by Thioredoxin-dependent Regulation of Intercellular Transport. roc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 106: 3615-3620.

Satoh-Nagasawa, N., Nagasawa, N., Malcomber, S., Sakai, H., and Jackson, D. 2006. A trehalose metabolic enzyme controls inflorescence architecture in maize. Nature 441: 227-230.

Kim, J.-Y., Rim, Y., Wang, J., and Jackson, D. 2005. A novel cell-to-cell trafficking assay indicates that the KNOX homeodomain is necessary and sufficient for intercellular protein and mRNA trafficking. Genes Dev. 19: 788–793.

Giulini, A., Wang, J., and Jackson, D. 2004. Control of phyllotaxy by the cytokinin-inducible response regulator homologue ABPHYL1. Nature 26: 1031–1034.

Taguchi-Shiobara, F., Yuan, Z., Hake, S., and Jackson, D. 2001. The fasciated ear2 gene encodes a leucine-rich repeat receptor-like protein that regulates shoot meristem proliferation in maize. Genes Dev. 15: 2755–2766.