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| Cathie Martin | ||||||
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Research Interests The broad theme is biochemical genetics in plants. The individual projects are broadly based: Plant transcription factors: especially MYB-related transcription factorsAn early goal of our work was to tag and clone genes using transposons. Many of the first genes identified were involved in anthocyanin pigment biosynthesis leading to work on the genetics of secondary metabolism. These structural genes are targets for regulatory genes, which control the patterns of pigment production in flowers. Several genes regulating pigment production are members of the MYB gene family. Other members of this family regulate other phenolics or related secondary metabolic pathways. One long-term goal of the lab is to be able to modulate flux along different secondary metabolic routes using these regulatory genes. Another aspect of MYB gene action is the control of epidermal cell shape. From the cloning of the first MYB gene involved in the formation of conical cell (MIXTA), the research of the group has diversified to examine the role of closely related genes in determining petal architecture. The interest in starch biosynthesis arose from sharing Lab 112 eighteen years ago with Alison Smith. We have undertaken the molecular genetics analysis of the enzymes involved in starch biosynthesis to complement the biochemical analysis by Alison's group. Our particular interests are the role of isoforms in conferring structural specificity to starch granules and identification of how the complex 3-dimensional structure of the starch granule is established. Work on chloroplast development began with the identification of mutants in genes encoding members of a plant specific protein family. Mutant cells do not undertake chloroplast differentiation. Work is aimed to understand the role of this novel, potentially regulatory, gene family in organellar differentiation.
Hosted by University of Colorado, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology |
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