Involvement of C 2 H 2 zinc finger proteins in the regulation of epidermal cell fate determination in Arabidopsis Running title : C 2 H 2 proteins in regulation of epidermal cell fate

Cell fate determination is a basic developmental process during the growth of multicellular organisms. Trichomes and root hairs of Arabidopsis are both readily accessible structures originating from the epidermal cells of the aerial tissues and roots respectively, and they serve as excellent models for understanding the molecular mechanisms controlling cell fate determination and cell morphogenesis. The regulation of trichome and root hair formation is a complex program that consists of the integration of hormonal signals with a large number of transcriptional factors, including MYB and bHLH transcriptional factors. Studies during recent years have uncovered an important role of C2H2 type zinc finger proteins in the regulation of epidermal cell fate determination. Here in this mini-review we briefly summarize the involvement of C2H2 zinc finger proteins in the control of trichome and root hair formation in Arabidopsis.