Plant cell walls, cell differentiation, and plant development
Study of the structure, synthesis and modification of plant cell walls using a combination of cell biology and genetics in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.
Funding through NSERC Discovery Grant, Genome Canada, FRQNT Nouveaux Chercheur, and Canadian Foundation for Innovation grants..
Publications
de Silva, N.D.G., Boutin, C., Lukina, A.O., Western, T.L., Molina, L., and Rowland, O. (2021). Seed coat suberin forms a barrier against chromium (Cr3+) during early seed germination in Arabidopsis thaliana. Environ. Exp. Bot. 191, 104632.
Dean, G.H., Jin, Z., Shi, L., Esfandiari, E., McGee, R., Nabata, K., Lee, T., Kunst, L., Western, T.L., and Haughn, G.W. (2017) Identification of a seed coat-specific promoter fragment from the Arabidopsis MUCILAGE-MODIFIED4 gene. Plant Molecular Biology, 95: 33-50.
McFarlane, H.E., Gendre, D., and Western, T.L. (2014) Seed coat ruthenium red staining assay. Bio-Protocol 4, e1096.
Kong, Y., Zhou, G, Abdeen, A.A., Schafhauser, J., Richardson, B., Atmodjo, M.A., Jung, J., Wicker, L., Mohnen, D., Western, T.L., Hahn, M.G. (2013) GALACTURONOSYLTRANSFERASE-LIKE5 is involved in the production of Arabidopsis seed coat mucilage. Plant Physiolology 163, 1203-1217.
Voiniciuc, C., Dean, G.H., Griffiths, J.S., Kirchsteiger, K., Hwang, Y.T., Gillett, A., Dow, G., Western, T.L., Estelle, M. and Haughn, G.W. (2013) FLYING SAUCER 1 is a transmembrane RING E3 ubiquitin ligase that controls the degree of pectin methylesterification in Arabidopsis seed mucilage. The Plant Cell 25, 944-959.
Esfandiari, E., Jin, Z., Abdeen, A., Griffiths, J.S., Western, T.L. and Haughn, G.W. (2013) Identification and analysis of an outer-seed-coat-specific promoter from Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Mol. Biol. 81, 93-104.
Romano, J.M., Dubos, C., Prouse, M.B., Wilkins, O., Hong, H., Poole, M., Kang, K-.Y., Li, E., Douglas, C.J., Western, T.L., Mansfield, S.D., and Campbell, M.M. (2012) AtMYB61, an R2R3-MYB transcription factor, is a pleiotropic regulator via a small gene network. New Phytologist 195, 774-786.
Haughn G.W. and Western, T.L. (2012) Arabidopsis seed coat mucilage is a specialized cell wall that can be used as a model for genetic analysis of plant cell wall structure and function. Front. Plant Sci. 3, 64.
Harpaz-Saad, S., Western, T.L. and Kieber, J.J. (2012) The FEI2-SOS5 pathway and CELLULOSE SYNTHASE 5 are required for cellulose biosynthesis in the Arabidopsis seed coat and affect pectin mucilage structure. Plant Signaling Behav. 7, 285-288.
Western, T.L. (2012) The sticky tale of seed coat mucilages: production, genetics, and role in seed germination and dispersal. Seed Sci. Res. 22, 1-25.
Harpaz-Saad, S., McFarlane, H.E., Xu, S., Divi, U.K., Forward, B., Western, T.L. and Kieber, J.J. (2011) Cellulose synthesis via the FEI2 RLK/SOS5 pathway and CELLULOSE SYNTHASE 5 is required for the structure of seed coat mucilage in Arabidopsis. The Plant Journal 68, 941-953.
Kaneda, M., Schuetz, M., Lin, B.S.P., Chanis, C., Hamberger, B., Western, T.L., Ehlting, J. and Samuels, A.L. (2011) ABC transporters coordinately expressed during lignification of Arabidopsis stems include a set of ABCB's associated with auxin transport. J. Exp. Bot. 62, 2063-2077.
Pang, C-Y., Wang, H., Pang, Y., Xu, C., Jiao, Y., Qin, Y-M., Western, T.L., Yu, S-X. and Zhu, Y-X. (2010) Comparative proteomics indicate that biosynthesis of pectic precursors is important for cotton fiber and Arabidopsis root hair elongation. Mol. Cell. Proteomics. 9, 2019-2033.
Arsovski, A.A., Haughn, G.W. and Western, T.L. (2010) Seed coat mucilage cells of Arabidopsis thaliana as a model for plant cell wall research. Plant Signalling Behav. 5, 1-6.
Arsovski, A.A., Popma, T.M., Haughn, G.W., Carpita, N.C., McCann, M.C. and Western, T.L. (2009) AtBXL1 encodes a bifunctional beta-D-xylosidase/alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase required for pectic arabinan modification in Arabidopsis mucilage secretory cells. Plant Physiol.150, 1219-1234.
Arsovski, A.A., Villota, M., Rowland, O., Subramaniam, R., and Western, T.L. (2009) MUM ENHANCERS are important for seed coat mucilage production and mucilage secretory cell differentiation in Arabidopsis thaliana. J. Exp. Bot. 60, 2601-2612.
Young, R.E., McFarlane, H.E., Hahn, M.G., Western, T.L., Haughn, G.W. and Samuels, A.L. (2008) Analysis of the Golgi apparatus in Arabidopsis seed coat cells during polarized secretion of pectin-rich mucilage. Plant Cell, 20, 1623-1638.
Western, T.L. (2008) Tales of mucilage and MEN: cell walls and cellular differentiation. Genetics Society of Canada Bulletin, 39, 65-66.
Dean, G.H., Zheng, H., Tewari, J., Huang, J., Young, Diana S., Hwang, Y.T., Western, T.L., Carpita, N.C., McCann, M.C., Mansfield, S.D. and Haughn, G.W. (2007) The Arabidopsis MUM2 gene encodes a beta-galactosidase required for the production of seed coat mucilage with correct hydration properties. Plant Cell, 19, 4007-4021.
Western, T. L. (2006) Changing Spaces: The Arabidopsis mucilage secretory cells as a novel system to dissect cell wall production in differentiating cells. Can. J. Bot. 84, 622-630.
Pighin, J.A. Zheng, H., Balakshin, L.J., Goodman, I.P., Western, T.L., Jetter, R., Kunst, L., Samuels, A.L. (2004). Plant cuticular lipid export requires an ABC transporter. Science 306, 702-704.
Western T.L., Young, D.S., Tan, W.L., Dean, G.H., Samuels, A.L. and Haughn, G.W. (2004). MUCILAGE-MODIFIED4 encodes a putative pectin biosynthetic enzyme developmentally regultaed by APETALA2, TRANSPARENT TESTA GLABRA1 and GLABRA2 in the Arabidopsis seed coat. Plant Physiology 134, 296-306.
Western, T.L., Cheng, Y., Liu, J., and Chen, X. (2002) HUA ENHANCER2, a putative DExH-box RNA helicase, maintains homeotic B and C gene expression in Arabidopsis. Development 129, 1569-1581.
Western, T.L., Burn, J., Tan, W-.L., Skinner, D.J., Martin McCaffrey, L., Moffat, B., and Haughn, G.W. (2001). Isolation and characterization of mutants defective in seed coat mucilage secretory cell development in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol. 127, 998-1011.
Western, T.L., Skinner, D.J., and Haughn, G.W. (2000). Differentiation of mucilage secretory cells of the Arabidopsis seed coat. Plant Physiol. 122, 345-355.
Western, T.L., and Haughn, G.W. (1999). BELL1 and AGAMOUS genes promote ovule identity in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant J. 18, 329-336.