[Life Sciences Seminar] ▶Subject: Specificity and integration of peptide signaling in plant development ▶Speaker: Prof. Jinsuk Lee (Biology Department, Concordia University) ▶Date: 3:00 PM/May. 20(Fri.)/2016 ▶Place: Auditorium(1F), Postech Biotech Center *Abctract Cell-cell communication is integral to the evolution of multicellularity. Development of stomata, specialized epidermal structures for efficient gas exchange, is an excellent model to study stem cell renewal, tissue patterning, and cell-cell communication in plants due to their simple cell types and accessibility. During development of photosynthetic organs, stomata are formed according to positional cues mediated by extrinsic cell-cell signaling. Several EPF family members of small cysteine-rich peptides have been discovered as important signaling molecules controlling stomatal patterning and differentiation in Arabidopsis. EPF1 and EPF2 are secreted from stomatal precursor cells and enforce proper stomatal spacing and restrict stomatal cell lineages, respectively. EPFL9/STOMAGEN, on the other hand, is expressed in the underlying mesophyll tissues and promotes stomatal differentiation in the epidermis. Interestingly, EPFL9 appears to antagonize EPF1 and EPF2 function in controlling stomatal patterning, but requires the same receptor components, ERECTA-family receptor kinases. Two other EPFL genes, EPFL4 and EPFL6/CHAL are expressed in stem and act redundantly to promote inflorescence growth in the ERECTA pathway. I will present progress I have made to address a major unresolved question in peptide signaling and plant development: how these peptide ligands elicit unique biological responses using the same sets of receptors. ▶Inquiry: Prof. Hwang, Il-Doo (279-2291) * This seminar will be given in English. please refrain from taking photos during seminars. *