Trichome Development and Molecular Regulation in Plants

Trichomes are specialised epidermal outgrowths that develop on aerial organs of terrestrial plants and fulfil diverse protective and metabolic functions. These structures range from simple, non-glandular hairs that mitigate ultraviolet radiation and reduce water loss, to complex glandular forms that synthesise and store valuable secondary metabolites, including terpenoids and phenolics. Trichome initiation begins with the fate determination of a protodermal cell, which undergoes endoreduplication and cell expansion under the control of a hierarchical transcriptional network. Central to this network is the MYB-bHLH-WD40 complex, which activates structural genes for trichome formation, while single-repeat R3 MYB proteins compete for bHLH partners to restrict trichome patterning. Auxin, gibberellins and jasmonates integrate environmental cues into the developmental programme, modulating cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors and cell-cycle regulators to ensure coordinated growth. Recent advances in genome editing and live-cell imaging have revealed the spatiotemporal dynamics of gene expression and chromatin accessibility that underpin trichome differentiation. Comparative studies across species such as Arabidopsis, tomato and cotton highlight both conserved regulators and lineage-specific innovations, offering new routes to harness trichome biosynthetic capacity for crop improvement and industrial biotechnology.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have elucidated a conserved repression mechanism in glandular trichome development. Two MYB-like genes, termed GCR1 and GCR2, were shown to inhibit gland formation in tomato by suppressing a key promoter of glandular identity. Their expression in apical trichome cells declines as cells adopt a secretory fate, driven by a two-step inhibition mediated by a TOE family repressor and the GCR proteins. Functional analyses in tobacco and petunia indicate that this MYB-mediated repression is preserved across diverse eudicots, providing a unifying framework for the control of glandular structures and offering targets for metabolic engineering of trichome-derived pharmaceuticals.

Trichome Development and Molecular Regulation in Plants publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in trichome development and molecular regulation in plants across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Trichome: An epidermal hair or gland that protects plants and may produce secondary metabolites.

Glandular trichome: A trichome type with secretory cells specialised in biosynthesis and storage of compounds such as terpenoids.

Non-glandular trichome: A protective hair lacking secretory activity, serving as a physical and sometimes chemical barrier.

MYB-bHLH-WD40 complex: A protein assembly of MYB, basic helix-loop-helix and WD40 repeat factors that activates trichome-specific genes.

Endoreduplication: DNA replication without cell division, leading to increased nuclear content and cell size in developing trichomes.

References

1. Spatiotemporal formation of glands in plants is modulated by MYB-like transcription factors. Nature Communications (2024).
2. Protective and defensive roles of non-glandular trichomes against multiple stresses: structure–function coordination. Journal of Forestry Research (2019).
3. Glandular trichomes: micro‐organs with model status?. New Phytologist (2019).
4. Updates on molecular mechanisms in the development of branched trichome in Arabidopsis and nonbranched in cotton. Plant Biotechnology Journal (2019).
5. An overview of the gene regulatory network controlling trichome development in the model plant, Arabidopsis. Frontiers in Plant Science (2014).
6. Analysis and review of trichomes in plants. BMC Plant Biology (2021).