A functional genomics approach to study plant reproductive development

Abstract

A fundamental question in developmental biology is how differentiated cell types and organs are formed from undifferentiated precursor cells. The establishment of the body plan of an organism is ultimately defined by its DNA sequence, but the developmental process relies on differential gene expression through interactions between a nucleus and its cellular environment. Recent technological advances have made it possible to study gene expression activities or protein-DNA interactions on a genome-wide scale (genomics). Here, I used a functional genomics approach to study gene regulatory networks underlying organ formation and sexual reproduction in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis).