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Related Experiment Video

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LeafJ: An ImageJ Plugin for Semi-automated Leaf Shape Measurement
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Published on: January 21, 2013

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What determines a leaf's shape?

Jeremy Dkhar1, Ashwani Pareek1

  • 1Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067 India.

Evodevo
|January 14, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Plant leaf evolution involves genetic factors controlling initiation, outgrowth, and expansion. Environmental influences also shape final leaf morphology, including complex structures like carnivorous plant pitchers.

Keywords:
AuxinEnvironmental factorsLeaf shapeMorphological noveltyNepenthesPolarity specification

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Area of Science:

  • Plant Biology
  • Evolutionary Botany
  • Developmental Genetics

Background:

  • Leaves, microphylls and megaphylls, are crucial for plant primary productivity and environmental composition.
  • Megaphylls exhibit complex variations in size, venation, and shape, driving scientific inquiry into their determination.
  • Leaf development progresses from a shoot apical meristem bulge through outgrowth, expansion, and maturation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and synthesize current research on the genetic and environmental factors governing leaf shape determination.
  • To highlight key genes involved in distinct stages of leaf development.
  • To explore the potential for applying knowledge of leaf development to understanding novel morphologies.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on leaf development and genetics.
  • Analysis of gene functions in leaf initiation, outgrowth, expansion, and polarity.
  • Comparative discussion of genetic mechanisms in model plants and specialized structures.

Main Results:

  • Leaf development is controlled by specific genetic pathways: PIN1/KNOX1 for initiation, HD-ZIPIII/KANADI/YABBY for outgrowth, and ANGUSTIFOLIA3/GROWTH-REGULATING FACTOR5 for expansion/maturation.
  • APUM23 is a newly identified gene involved in specifying leaf polarity.
  • Environmental factors contribute to the final adjustments in leaf shape.

Conclusions:

  • Leaf shape is a product of intricate genetic programming and environmental interactions.
  • Understanding these mechanisms provides a foundation for studying unique leaf adaptations, such as Nepenthes pitchers.
  • Genetic pathways for leaf development may be conserved and co-opted for novel structures.