title: A shift toward smaller cell size via manipulation of cell cycle gene expression acts to smoothen Arabidopsis leaf shape.
abstract: Understanding the relationship of the size and shape of an organism to the size, shape, and number of its constituent cells is a basic problem in biology; however, numerous studies indicate that the relationship is complex and often nonintuitive. To investigate this problem, we used a system for the inducible expression of genes involved in the G1/S transition of the plant cell cycle and analyzed the outcome on leaf shape. By combining a careful developmental staging with a quantitative analysis of the temporal and spatial response of cell division pattern and leaf shape to these manipulations, we found that changes in cell division frequency occurred much later than the observed changes in leaf shape. These data indicate that altered cell division frequency cannot be causally involved in the observed change of shape. Rather, a shift to a smaller cell size as a result of the genetic manipulations performed correlated with the formation of a smoother leaf perimeter, i.e. appeared to be the primary cellular driver influencing form. These data are discussed in the context of the relationship of cell division, growth, and leaf size and shape.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S102TN, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Asuka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuwabara
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Backhaus
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Malinowski
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bauch
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Monk
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sanguinetti
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fleming
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000235:genetics*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics; D048429:Cell Size; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D019441:Plant Epidermis / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins