The focus of the Liljegren lab is to investigate how membrane trafficking and cell signaling control key aspects of plant development. We have discovered that an Arabidopsis ARF GAP, NEVERSHED, is essential for organ abscission. Using nev mutant flowers as a sensitized genetic background, we have identified a set of receptor-like kinases--EVERSHED, SERK1, and CAST AWAY--that act as spatial and temporal inhibitors of organ separation. We are currently testing whether these kinases inhibit abscission by affecting the localization and activity of HAESA and HAESA-LIKE2, a pair of receptor-like kinases known to activate organ separation. We are also analyzing the broader roles of NEVERSHED and a related ARF GAP in regulating membrane traffic during root and meristem development.
