Prof. MS Tsiantis
Research Area
Comparative analysis of leaf development programmes
Research Description
We are interested in understanding the basis for the generation of different organismal forms. Angiosperm leaves offer an attractive opportunity to study morphological evolution as they demonstrate an enormous degree of phenotypic diversity. To study this problem we employ molecular genetic and comparative development approaches in plants with divergent leaf forms. Our aim is twofold, first to build a concrete picture of the genetic networks operating to sculpt angiosperm shoot form and second to understand how these networks are modified through evolution to result in the multitude of distinct leaf forms apparent in nature.
Systems of choice
We use two model genetic systems Arabidopsis thaliana and tomato. More recently we have started work on relatives of Arabidopsis that demonstrate divergent morphologies. This effort has resulted in developing the Arabidopsis relative Cardamine hirsuta into a model system for comparative development. Because C.hirsuta is amenable to both forward and reverse genetics approaches we believe that research on this system will facilitate an in depth understanding of mechanisms driving evolution of development. We hope that this approach combined with phylogenetically informed comparative studies will help understand what specific changes in gene expression/function control evolution of leaf form.
Current projects
There are four interrelated areas of research in the lab:
1. Hormonal mediation of KNOTTED1 type homeobox (KNOX) function
2. Mechanisms controlling KNOX expression in Arabidopsis and tomato
3. Control of leaf shape in plants with dissected leaves
4. Evolution of leaf shape in crucifers
Graduate Programme
The lab participates in an interdisciplinary BBSRC funded DPhil programme in Genomes, Development and Evolution, run jointly by the Department of Zoology, Department of Plant Sciences and the Dunn School of Pathology. For more details see:
http://users.ox.ac.uk/~zool0456/positions.htm
News
Miltos Tsiantis is one of 21 young group leaders selected by EMBO to receive the support of its prestigious Young Investigator Programme. Selection is a mark of the highest scientific excellence and the 2006 awardees were handpicked from a pool of over 150 excellent candidates across Europe. EMBO Young Investigators carry an influential recommendation. Selected by EMBO Members for the high standard of their research, they join a network of some of Europe¢s best young life scientists. See
www.embo.org/about_embo/press/new_yips06.html.
Tsiantis Group Members
Publications (while at this department)
Canales, C, Barkoulas, M, Galinha, C, Tsiantis, M. (2009) Weeds of change: Cardamine hirsuta as a new model system for studying dissected leaf development Journal of Plant Research. 123 (1): pp 25-33.
doi:10.1007/s10265-009-0263-3.
Galinha, C, Bilsborough, G, Tsiantis, M. (2009) Hormonal input in plant meristems: A balancing act Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology. 20 (9): pp 1149-1156.
doi:10.1016/j.semcdb.2009.09.007.
Grigg, S.P, Galinha, C, Kornet, N, Canales, C, Scheres, B, Tsiantis, M. (2009) Repression of Apical Homeobox Genes Is Required for Embryonic Root Development in Arabidopsis Current Biology..
doi:10.1016/j.cub.2009.06.070.
Barkoulas, M, Hay, A, Kougioumoutzi, E, Tsiantis, M. (2008) A developmental framework for dissected leaf formation in the Arabidopsis relative Cardamine hirsuta Nature Genetics..
doi:10.1038/ng.189.
Blein, T, Pulido, A, Vialette-Guiraud, A, Nikovics, K, Morin, H, Hay, A, Johansen, I.E, Tsiantis, M, Laufs, P. (2008) A conserved molecular framework for compound leaf development Science. 322 (5909): pp 1835-1839.
doi:10.1126/science.1166168.
Jasinski, S, Tattersall, A, Piazza, P, Hay, A, Martinez-Garcia, J.F, Schmitz, G, Theres, K, McCormick, S, Tsiantis, M. (2008) PROCERA encodes a DELLA protein that mediates control of dissected leaf form in tomato The Plant Journal. 56 (4): pp 603-612.
doi:10.1111/j.1365-313X.2008.03628.x.
Barkoulas, M, Galinha, C, Grigg, S.P, Tsiantis, M. (2007) From genes to shape: regulatory interactions in leaf development Current Opinion in Plant Biology. 10 (6): pp 660-666.
doi:10.1016/j.pbi.2007.07.012.
Jasinski, S, Kaur, H, Tattersall, A, Tsiantis, M. (2007) Negative regulation of KNOX expression in tomato leaves Planta. 226 (5): pp 1255-1263.
doi:10.1007/s00425-007-0572-5.
Hay, A, Tsiantis, M. (2006) The genetic basis for differences in leaf form between Arabidopsis thaliana and its wild relative Cardamine hirsuta Nature Genetics. 38 (8): pp 942-947.
doi:10.1038/ng1835.
Hay, A, Barkoulas, M, Tsiantis, M. (2006) ASYMMETRIC LEAVES1 and auxin activities converge to repress BREVIPEDICELLUS expression and promote leaf development in Arabidopsis Development. 133 (20): pp 3955-3961.
doi:10.1242/dev.02545.
Canales, C, Grigg, S, Tsiantis, M. (2005) The formation and patterning of leaves: Recent advances Planta. 221 (6): pp 752-756.
doi:10.1007/s00425-005-1549-x.
Craft, J, Samalova, M, Baroux, C, Townley, H, Martinez, A, Jepson, I, Tsiantis, M, Moore, I. (2005) New pOp/LhG4 vectors for stringent glucocorticoid-dependent transgene expression in Arabidopsis Plant Journal. 41 (6): pp 899-918.
doi:10.1111/j.1365-313X.2005.02342.x.
Grigg, S.P, Canales, C, Hay, A, Tsiantis, M. (2005) SERRATE coordinates shoot meristem function and leaf axial patterning in Arabidopsis Nature. 437 (7061): pp 1022-1026.
doi:10.1038/nature04052.
Hay, A, Tsiantis, M. (2005) From genes to plants via meristems Development. 132 (12): pp 2679-2684.
doi:10.1242/dev.01880.
Jasinski, S, Piazza, P, Craft, J, Hay, A, Woolley, L, Rieu, I, Phillips, A, Hedden, P, Tsiantis, M. (2005) KNOX action in Arabidopsis is mediated by coordinate regulation of cytokinin and gibberellin activities Current Biology. 15 (17): pp 1560-1565.
doi:10.1016/j.cub.2005.07.023.
Hay, A, Barkoulas, M, Tsiantis, M. (2004) PINning down the connections: Transcription factors and hormones in leaf morphogenesis Current Opinion in Plant Biology. 7 (5): pp 575-581.
doi:10.1016/j.pbi.2004.07.007.
Hay, A, Craft, J, Tsiantis, M. (2004) Plant hormones and homeoboxes: Bridging the gap? BioEssays. 26 (4): pp 395-404
Tsiantis, M, Hay, A. (2003) Comparative plant development: The time of the leaf? Nature Reviews Genetics. 4 (3): pp 169-180.
doi:10.1038/nrg1002.
Hay, A, Kaur, H, Phillips, A, Hedden, P, Hake, S, Tsiantis, M. (2002) The gibberellin pathway mediates KNOTTED1-type homeobox function in plants with different body plans Current Biology. 12 (18): pp 1557-1565.
doi:10.1016/S0960-9822(02)01125-9.
Tsiantis, M. (2001) Control of shoot cell fate: Beyond homeoboxes Plant Cell. 13 (4): pp 733-738.
doi:10.1105/tpc.13.4.733.
Tsiantis, M, Schneeberger, R, Golz, J.F, Freeling, M, Langdale, J.A. (1999) The maize rough sheath2 gene and leaf development programs in monocot and dicot plants Science. 284 (5411): pp 154-156.
doi:10.1126/science.284.5411.154.
Tsiantis, M, Brown, M.I.N, Skibinski, G, Langdale, J.A. (1999) Disruption of auxin transport is associated with aberrant leaf development in maize Plant Physiology. 121 (4): pp 1163-1168
Schneeberger, R, Tsiantis, M, Freeling, M, Langdale, J.A. (1998) The rough sheath2 gene negatively regulates homeobox gene expression during maize leaf development Development. 125 (15): pp 2857-2865
Tsiantis, M, Langdale, J.A. (1998) The formation of leaves Current Opinion in Plant Biology. 1 (1): pp 43-48
Tsiantis, M.S, Bartholomew, D.M, Smith, J.A.C. (1996) Salt regulation of transcript levels for the c subunit of a leaf vacuolar H+-ATPase in the halophyte Mesembryanthemum crystallinum Plant Journal. 9 (5): pp 729-736
Funding
We receive funding from the BBSRC, Royal Society, The Gatsby Charitable Foundation and the EU
Collaborators
Dr Sarah Hake, PGEC Berkeley
Dr Peter Hedden and Andy Phillips, IACRS-Rothamstead
Dr Donovan Bailey, University of New Mexico
Dr Sheila McCormick, PGEC Berkeley