Glandular trichomes play important roles in protecting plants from biotic attack by producing defensive compounds. We investigated the metabolic profiles and transcriptomes to characterize the differences between different glandular trichome types in several domesticated and wild Solanum species: Solanum lycopersicum (glandular trichome types 1, 6, and 7), Solanum habrochaites (types 1, 4, and 6), Solanum pennellii (types 4 and 6), Solanum arcanum (type 6), and Solanum pimpinellifolium (type 6). Substantial chemical differences in and between Solanum species and glandular trichome types are likely determined by the regulation of metabolism at several levels. Comparison of S. habrochaites type 1 and 4 glandular trichomes revealed few differences in chemical content or transcript abundance, leading to the conclusion that these two glandular trichome types are the same and differ perhaps only in stalk length. The observation that all of the other species examined here contain either type 1 or 4 trichomes (not both) supports the conclusion that these two trichome types are the same. Most differences in metabolites between type 1 and 4 glands on the one hand and type 6 glands on the other hand are quantitative but not qualitative. Several glandular trichome types express genes associated with photosynthesis and carbon fixation, indicating that some carbon destined for specialized metabolism is likely fixed within the trichome secretory cells. Finally, Solanum type 7 glandular trichomes do not appear to be involved in the biosynthesis and storage of specialized metabolites and thus likely serve another unknown function, perhaps as the site of the synthesis of protease inhibitors.Trichomes are epidermal structures widely conserved across the plant kingdom (Kim and Mahlberg, 1991;Wagner, 1991;Alonso et al., 1992;Yu et al., 1992;Kolb and Muller, 2003;Valkama et al., 2003;Giuliani and Bini, 2008). These structures perform important biological functions, such as discouraging herbivory, attracting pollinators, and maintaining a boundary layer (Nihoul, 1993;Van Dam and Hare, 1998;Kennedy, 2003;Moyano et al., 2003;Simmons and Gurr, 2005;Liu et al., 2006;Horgan et al., 2007;Gonzalez et al., 2008;Romero et al., 2008;Nonomura et al., 2009;Kang et al., 2010). Many of these functions are the result of the specialized nature of glandular trichomes (glands) as sites for the synthesis and storage of biologically active specialized metabolites (Alonso et al

Shotgun proteomics analysis allows hundreds of proteins to be identified and quantified from a single sample at relatively low cost. Extensive DNA sequence information is a prerequisite for shotgun proteomics, and it is ideal to have sequence for the organism being studied rather than from related species or accessions. While this requirement has limited the set of organisms that are candidates for this approach, next generation sequencing technologies make it feasible to obtain deep DNA sequence coverage from any organism. As part of our studies of specialized (secondary) metabolism in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) trichomes, 454 sequencing of cDNA was combined with shotgun proteomics analyses to obtain in-depth profiles of genes and proteins expressed in leaf and stem glandular trichomes of 3-week-old plants. The expressed sequence tag and proteomics data sets combined with metabolite analysis led to the discovery and characterization of a sesquiterpene synthase that produces b-caryophyllene and a-humulene from E,E-farnesyl diphosphate in trichomes of leaf but not of stem. This analysis demonstrates the utility of combining high-throughput cDNA sequencing with proteomics experiments in a target tissue. These data can be used for dissection of other biochemical processes in these specialized epidermal cells.

The p53 protein is stabilized during infection of primary human fibroblasts with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). However, the p53 in HCMV-infected cells is unable to activate its downstream targets. HCMV accomplishes this inactivation, at least in part, by sequestering p53 into viral replication centers within the cell's nucleus soon after they are established. In order to better understand the interplay between HCMV and p53 and the mechanism of sequestration, we constructed a panel of mutant p53-GFP fusion constructs for use in transfection/infection experiments. These mutants affected several post-translational modification sites and several sites within the central sequence-specific DNA-binding domain of the protein. Two categories of p53 sequestration were observed when the mutant constructs were transfected into primary fibroblasts and then infected at either high or low multiplicity. The first category, including all of the post-translational modification mutants, showed sequestration comparable to a wild-type (wt) control, while the second category, mutants affecting the DNA-binding core, were not specifically sequestered above control GFP levels. This suggested that the DNA-binding ability of the protein was required for sequestration. When the HCMV genome was analyzed for p53 consensus binding sites, 21 matches were found, which localized either to the promoters or the coding regions of viral proteins involved in DNA replication and processing as well as structural proteins. An analysis of in vivo binding to these identified sites via chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed differential binding to several of the sites over the course of infection.