Comparing gene expression between wild type and trichomeless mutants

Trichomes are found on the leaf surface of many plant species. They can be classified into either glandular or non-glandular types. Glandular trichomes are usually multicelluar structures and have long been known to participate in defense against pathogens through the production of specialized chemical products. Non-glandular trichomes, such as those in Arabidopsis thaliana, have been hypothesized to have roles in physical defense against insects, UV protection, detoxification, and heat dispersal. However, it has been difficult to separate a physical role from other possible functions for non-glandular trichomes. We have taken advantage of several mutants in the trichome developmental pathway and gene expression analyses to identify a set of genes expressed predominantly in Arabidopsis trichomes. Keywords: comparing gene expression between wild type and mutants We compared the gene expression between the wild type and three trichomeless mutants: gl1, ttg1 and gl3egl1 to see which genes' transcripts are enriched in trichomes.