Single-cell and tissue transcriptomes unveil factors regulating vein initiation and development in grass leaf
Juan Yi1,2, Yonghe Chen1,2, Shilong Tian1
1Key Laboratory of Plant Carbon Capture, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China.
The Plant Cell
|February 22, 2026
Summary
This study reveals how auxin and SHORT-ROOT1 (SHR1) interact to control leaf vein patterns in maize and rice. Researchers identified key genes and developed a system to manipulate vein formation in rice, advancing our understanding of grass leaf development.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Developmental genetics
- Molecular plant science
Background:
- Leaf venation patterns are crucial for plant function, but the underlying genetic mechanisms in grasses like maize (C4) and rice (C3) are not fully understood.
- Maize leaves exhibit denser venation than rice, suggesting distinct developmental regulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically investigate the developmental patterning of vein formation in maize and rice leaf primordia.
- To identify key genes and molecular pathways regulating vein initiation and differentiation.
- To establish an experimental system for manipulating vein formation in rice.
Main Methods:
- Single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas of maize leaf primordia.
- Pseudo-time trajectory analysis to identify cell-type-specific marker genes.
- Experimental manipulation of gene expression (ZmSHR1, OsGH3.8, OsAUX1) and auxin levels in rice leaf primordia.
Main Results:
- Identified distinct ground tissue and procambium cell populations in maize.
- Discovered novel marker genes involved in vein development, including ZmEREB114, ZmAIC3, ZmEREB161, and ZmAAS2.
- Demonstrated that ZmSHR1 suppresses rice auxin-related genes (OsGH3.8, OsAUX1), while auxin promotes them, revealing an antagonistic interaction.
Conclusions:
- Provides single-cell resolution data for early grass leaf development.
- Offers a novel experimental system for manipulating vein initiation in rice.
- Proposes a model where SHR1 function and auxin signaling interplay to regulate leaf vein patterning in maize and rice.
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