title: Molecular systems governing leaf growth: from genes to networks.
abstract: Arabidopsis leaf growth consists of a complex sequence of interconnected events involving cell division and cell expansion, and requiring multiple levels of genetic regulation. With classical genetics, numerous leaf growth regulators have been identified, but the picture is far from complete. With the recent advances made in quantitative phenotyping, the study of the quantitative, dynamic, and multifactorial features of leaf growth is now facilitated. The use of high-throughput phenotyping technologies to study large numbers of natural accessions or mutants, or to screen for the effects of large sets of chemicals will allow for further identification of the additional players that constitute the leaf growth regulatory networks. Only a tight co-ordination between these numerous molecular players can support the formation of a functional organ. The connections between the components of the network and their dynamics can be further disentangled through gene-stacking approaches and ultimately through mathematical modelling. In this review, we describe these different approaches that should help to obtain a holistic image of the molecular regulation of organ growth which is of high interest in view of the increasing needs for plant-derived products.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Technologiepark 927, 9052 Ghent, Belgium Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: González
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Technologiepark 927, 9052 Ghent, Belgium Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052 Ghent, Belgium dirk.inze@psb.vib-ugent.be.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Inzé
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D002455:Cell Division; D049108:Cell Enlargement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D049490:Systems Biology
keywords: Arabidopsis; growth control; leaf size; multidisciplinary approaches; quantitative biology; systems biology.