Naomi Ori

Compound leaf development: Variability in leaf size and shape depends on a balance between robustness and flexibility in leaf development. We use leaf development in tomato as a tool to understand the maintenance of this balance. Tomato has compound leaves that are extremely sensitive to internal and external cues. We study the roles of transcription factors and hormones in controlling leaf maturation and leaflet development.

Shoot apical meristem function: The shoot apical meristem is responsible for continuous organ formation. We study the roles of transcription factors and hormones in maintaining SAM activity.

In collaboration with Eran Sharon in the Racah institute of physics, we try to understand the interaction between biological and mechanical mechanisms in the control of leaf development.

1. The morphogenetic activity of the tomato leaf margin: Tomato leaf margins retain morphogenetic activity that enables leaf elaboration. How do transcription factors from the KNOXI and TCP families and plant hormones control the progress of leaf maturation and the extent of the morphogenetic activity of the leaf margin?
2. Patterning the tomato leaf: The role of the CUC protein GOBLET and the plant hormone auxin in controlling leaflet initiation, development and separation.
3. The role of KNOXI genes in shoot apical meristem (SAM) maintenance and flower development.
4. The role of mechanical stresses in leaf patterning.

 

• Ben Gera, H. , Shwartz, I., Shao, M. R., Shani, E., Estelle, M. and Ori, N. (2012). ENTIRE and GOBLET promote leaflet development in tomato by modulating auxin response. Plant J., in press.
• Yanai, O., Shani., E., Russ, D. and Ori, N. (2011). Gibberellin partly mediates LANCEOLATE activity in tomato. Plant J. 68, 571-582.
• Burko, Y., Geva, Y., Refael-Cohen, A., Shleizer-Burko, S., Shani, E., Berger, Y., Halon, E., Chuck, G., Moshelion, M. and Ori, N. (2011). ZRIZI MATE-type transporter is an organelle transporter that enhances organ initiation. Plant and Cell Physiology, 52, 518-527.
• Shleizer-Burko, S., Burko, Y., Ben-Herzel, O. and Ori, N. (2011). Dynamic growth program regulated by LANCEOLATE enables flexible leaf patterning. Development 138,695-704.
• Shani, E., Ben-Gera, H., Shleizer-Burko, S., Burko, Y., Weiss, D. and Ori, N. (2010). Cytokinin regulates compound leaf development in tomato. Plant Cell 22, 3206-3217
• Shani, E., Burko, Y., Ben-Yaakov, L., Berger, Y., Amsellem, Z., Goldshmidt, A., Sharon, E. and Ori, N. (2009). Stage specific regulation of Solanum lycopersicum leaf maturation by class 1 KNOTTED1-LIKE HOMEOBOX proteins. Plant Cell 21, 3078-3092.
• Berger, Y., Harpaz – Saad, S., Brand, A., Melnik, H., Sirding, N., Alvarez, J.P., Zinder, M., Samach, A., Eshed, Y., and Ori, N. (2009). The NAC-domain transcription factor GOBLET specifies leaflet boundaries in compound tomato leaves. Development, 136, 823-832.
• Brand, A., Sirding, N., Shleizer, S. and Ori, N. (2007) Meristem maintenance and compound leaf patterning utilize common genetic mechanisms in tomato. Planta, 226, 941-951.
• Ori, N., Refael-Cohen, A., Etzioni, A., Brand, A., Yanai, O., Shleizer, S., Menda, N., Amsellem, Z., Efroni, I., Pekker, I., Alvarez, J.P., Blum, E., Zamir, D. and Eshed, Y. (2007). Regulation of LANCEOLATE by miR319 is required for compound-leaf development in tomato. Nature Genetics, 39, 787 – 791.
• Shani, E., Yanai, O. and Ori N. (2006). The role of hormones in shoot apical meristem function. Curr. Opin. Plant Biology 9, 484-489.
• Yanai, O., Shani, E., Doezal, K., Tarkowski, P., Sablowski, R., Sandberg, G., Samach, A., and Ori, N. (2005). Arabidopsis KNOXI proteins activate cytokinin biosynthesis. Current Biology 15, 1566-1571.
• Ori, N., Eshed, Y., Chuck, G. Bowman, J. L. and Hake, S. (2000). Mechanisms that control knox gene expression in the Arabidopsis shoot. Development 127, 5523-5532.

Current members of the group:

	Adam Bobrow Undergraduate student Current B.S. student in Plant Biology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
	Hadas Ben-Gera Graduate Student hadas.melnik@mail.huji.ac.il
	Ido Shwartz Graduate Student Ido.shwartz@mail.huji.ac.il
	Roi Zibsner M.Sc student Current B.S. student in Plant Biology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
	Sharona Shliezer-Burko Graduate Student sharona.shliezer@mail.huji.ac.il
	Yogev Burko Graduate Student yogevborko@gmail.com
	Maya Bar Postdoc
	Iris Zelnik Undergraduate student
	Shiri Goldental Undergraduate student

Former Students:

Eilon Shani

Osnat Yanai

Aya Refael-Cohen

Yael Berger

Neti Sirding

Arnon Brand

Adi Etzioni

Hanoch Glesner

Lilach Ben Yaakov

Ori Ben-Herzel