Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Light Acquisition

Light Acquisition

In order to produce glucose, plants need to capture sufficient light energy. Many modern plants have evolved leaves specialized for light acquisition. Leaves can be only millimeters in width or tens of meters wide, depending on the environment. Due to competition for sunlight, evolution has driven the evolution of increasingly larger leaves and taller plants, to avoid shading by their neighbors with contaminant elaboration of root architecture and mechanisms to transport water and nutrients.

Non-vascular Seedless Plants

Non-vascular Seedless Plants

The diverse plant life on Earth—consisting of nearly 400,000 species—can be divided into three broad categories based on biological characteristics: nonvascular, seedless vascular, and seed plants.

Basic Plant Anatomy: Roots, Stems, and Leaves

Basic Plant Anatomy: Roots, Stems, and Leaves

The primary organs of vascular plants are roots, stems, and leaves, but these structures can be highly variable, adapted for the specific needs and environment of different plant species.

Fruit Development, Structure, and Function

Fruit Development, Structure, and Function

Fruits form from a mature flower ovary. As seeds develop from the ovules contained within, the ovary wall undergoes a series of complex changes to form fruit. In some fruits, such as soybeans, the ovary wall dries; in other fruits, such as grapes, it remains fleshy. In some cases, organs other than the ovary contribute to fruit formation; such fruits are called accessory fruits.

Morphogenesis

Morphogenesis

Plant morphogenesis—the development of a plant’s form and structure—involves several overlapping developmental processes, including growth and cell differentiation. Precursor cells differentiate into specific cell types, which are organized into the tissues and organ systems that make up the functional plant.

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

LEAFY demonstrates functions in reproductive development of the gametophyte but not the sporophyte of the fern Ceratopteris richardii.

Development (Cambridge, England)·2026

Same author

LEAFY demonstrates functions in reproductive development of the gametophyte but not the sporophyte of the fern Ceratopteris richardii.

Development (Cambridge, England)·2025

Same author

Florigen and antiflorigen gene expression correlates with reproductive state in a marine angiosperm, <i>Zostera marina</i>.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024

Same author

A cornucopia of diversity-Ranunculales as a model lineage.

Journal of experimental botany·2023

Same author

Gene Duplication and Differential Expression of Flower Symmetry Genes in <i>Rhododendron</i> (Ericaceae).

Plants (Basel, Switzerland)·2021

Same author

Genomic and transcriptomic resources for candidate gene discovery in the Ranunculids.

Applications in plant sciences·2021

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 5, 2026

Author Spotlight: Leaf Trait Analysis for Climate and Ecology Reconstruction in Modern and Ancient Plant Communities

Author Spotlight: Leaf Trait Analysis for Climate and Ecology Reconstruction in Modern and Ancient Plant Communities

Published on: October 25, 2024

The evolution and development of LEAFY function.

Hannah McConnell¹, Verónica S Di Stilio¹

¹Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.

Journal of Experimental Botany

|May 4, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The transcription factor LEAFY (LFY) likely evolved its reproductive role in early land plants, not just flowers. This review suggests LFY

Keywords:

LEAFY co-option evo-devo gametophyte meristem pioneer transcription factor

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Improved Methods for Preparing Transverse Sections and Unrolled Whole Mounts of Maize Leaf Primordia for Fluorescence and Confocal Imaging

Author Spotlight: Improved Methods for Preparing Transverse Sections and Unrolled Whole Mounts of Maize Leaf Primordia for Fluorescence and Confocal Imaging

Published on: September 22, 2023

Relating Stomatal Conductance to Leaf Functional Traits

Relating Stomatal Conductance to Leaf Functional Traits

Published on: October 12, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 5, 2026

Author Spotlight: Leaf Trait Analysis for Climate and Ecology Reconstruction in Modern and Ancient Plant Communities

Author Spotlight: Leaf Trait Analysis for Climate and Ecology Reconstruction in Modern and Ancient Plant Communities

Published on: October 25, 2024

Author Spotlight: Improved Methods for Preparing Transverse Sections and Unrolled Whole Mounts of Maize Leaf Primordia for Fluorescence and Confocal Imaging

Author Spotlight: Improved Methods for Preparing Transverse Sections and Unrolled Whole Mounts of Maize Leaf Primordia for Fluorescence and Confocal Imaging

Published on: September 22, 2023

Relating Stomatal Conductance to Leaf Functional Traits

Relating Stomatal Conductance to Leaf Functional Traits

Published on: October 12, 2015

Area of Science:

Evolutionary developmental biology
Plant molecular biology
Genetics and genomics

Background:

The transcription factor LEAFY (LFY) is canonically known for its role in floral meristem identity in angiosperms.
LFY homologs are conserved across all land plants, suggesting an ancestral function predating flowers.
Previous hypotheses proposed a broader, ancestral meristematic role for LFY, with reproductive functions acquired later.

Purpose of the Study:

To review evidence supporting an earlier origin of LFY's reproductive role in land plant evolution.
To investigate the co-option of LFY function from gametophytes to sporophytes during the evolution of diploid-dominant life cycles.
To examine LFY's mechanism of action and its implications for reconstructing its functional evolution.

Main Methods:

Literature review of studies on LFY orthologs in non-flowering plants.
Analysis of evidence regarding LFY's role in gametophyte development.
Examination of LFY's mechanism of action, including its classification as a pioneer transcription factor.

Main Results:

Evidence suggests LFY's reproductive role emerged earlier than previously thought, specifically in the gametophyte stage of haploid-dominant plants.
LFY function was subsequently co-opted to the sporophyte during the transition to diploid-dominant life cycles in land plants.
Recent insights highlight LFY as a pioneer transcription factor, influencing its functional evolution.

Conclusions:

The reproductive role of LEAFY (LFY) is ancient, originating in the gametophyte of early land plants.
LFY's function was adapted to the sporophyte as plant life cycles shifted towards diploid dominance.
Understanding LFY as a pioneer transcription factor provides crucial insights into its evolutionary trajectory.