Defects in Glabrous 3 (GL3) functionality underlie the absence of trichomes in Brassica napus

SUMMARY Previously, expression of the Arabidopsis thaliana GLABRA3 (GL3) induced trichome formation in Brassica napus. GL3 orthologues were examined from glabrous (B. oleracea), semi‐glabrous (B. napus), moderately hirsute (B. rapa), and very hirsute (B. villosa) Brassica species. Ectopic expression of BnGL3, BrGL3 alleles, or BvGL3 induced trichome formation in glabrous B. napus with the effect on trichome number commensurate with density in the original accessions. Chimeric GL3 proteins in which the B. napus amino terminal region, which interacts with MYB proteins, or the middle region, which interacts with the WD40 protein TTG1, was exchanged with corresponding regions from A. thaliana were as stimulatory to trichome production as AtGL3. Exchange of the carboxy‐terminal region containing a bHLH domain and an ACT domain did not alter the trichome stimulatory activity, although modeling of the ACT domain identified differences that could affect GL3 dimerization. B. napus A‐ and C‐genomes orthologues differed in their abilities to form homo‐ and heterodimers. Modeling of the amino‐terminal region revealed a conserved domain that may represent the MYB factor binding pocket. This region interacted with the MYB factors GL1, CPC, and TRY, as well as with JAZ8, which is involved in jasmonic acid‐mediated regulation of MYC‐like transcription factors. Protein interaction studies indicated that GL1 interaction with GL3 from B. napus and A. thaliana may underlie the difference in their respective abilities to induce trichome formation. Significance Statement The work compares the ability of GL3 orthologues from glabrous and hirsute Brassica species to initiate trichome formation in Brassica napus. Chimaric GL3 proteins, protein modeling, and protein–protein interaction studies are then used to define the reasons underlying the lack of trichomes in B. napus and to provide new information regarding the function of GL3 subdomains.