A conserved molecular framework for compound leaf development.
Diversity in leaf shape is produced by alterations of the margin: for example, deep dissection leads to leaflet formation and less-pronounced incision results in serrations or lobes. By combining gene silencing and mutant analyses in four distantly related eudicot species, we show that reducing the function of NAM/CUC boundary genes (NO APICAL MERISTEM and CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON) leads to a suppression of all marginal outgrowths and to fewer and fused leaflets. We propose that NAM/CUC genes promote formation of a boundary domain that delimits leaflets. This domain has a dual role promoting leaflet separation locally and leaflet formation at distance. In this manner, boundaries of compound leaves resemble boundaries functioning during animal development.
Blein
Thomas
T
Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire, Institut Jean Pierre Bourgin, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), 78026 Versailles Cedex, France.
Pulido
Amada
A
Vialette-Guiraud
Aurélie
A
Nikovics
Krisztina
K
Morin
Halima
H
Hay
Angela
A
Johansen
Ida Elisabeth
IE
Tsiantis
Miltos
M
Laufs
Patrick
P
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D031884:Aquilegia / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D031217:Cardamine / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020868:Gene Silencing; D017343:Genes, Plant; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018532:Pisum sativum / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D010802:Phylogeny; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors