THE ROLE OF ETHYLENE SIGNALING IN ROOT HAIR DEVELOPMENT IN TOMATO

A major goal of this project is to investigate the genetic and biochemical mechanisms by which the plant hormone ethylene controls root development in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), specifically this project aims to determine if ethylene drives root hair formation by altering reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in root hair cells.ROS act downstream of many signaling pathways to control developmental processes by reversibly oxidizing proteins to alter function. We have in hand tomato mutants Never-ripe (Nr) and green ripe (gr) that are ethylene insensitive.This project will determine if there is altered ROS accumulation and ROS producing enzyme activity in wild type and ethylene-insensitive mutants in conditions of elevated ethylene. The project will also investigate the root transcriptional responses to elevated ethylene in wild-type and ethylene-insensitive mutants. Lastly, this project will ask whether ethylene signaling results in the reversible oxidationof root-specific proteins which will give insight into how ethylene controls root hair development.