title: Correlation analysis of the transcriptome of growing leaves with mature leaf parameters in a maize RIL population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To sustain the global requirements for food and renewable resources, unraveling the molecular networks underlying plant growth is becoming pivotal. Although several approaches to identify genes and networks involved in final organ size have been proven successful, our understanding remains fragmentary.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here, we assessed variation in 103 lines of the Zea mays B73xH99 RIL population for a set of final leaf size and whole shoot traits at the seedling stage, complemented with measurements capturing growth dynamics, and cellular measurements. Most traits correlated well with the size of the division zone, implying that the molecular basis of final leaf size is already defined in dividing cells of growing leaves. Therefore, we searched for association between the transcriptional variation in dividing cells of the growing leaf and final leaf size and seedling biomass, allowing us to identify genes and processes correlated with the specific traits. A number of these genes have a known function in leaf development. Additionally, we illustrated that two independent mechanisms contribute to final leaf size, maximal growth rate and the duration of growth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Untangling complex traits such as leaf size by applying in-depth phenotyping allows us to define the relative contributions of the components and their mutual associations, facilitating dissection of the biological processes and regulatory networks underneath.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium. jobau@psb.vib-ugent.be.|Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium. jobau@psb.vib-ugent.be.
authors.forename: Joke
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baute
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium. doher@psb.vib-ugent.be.|Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium. doher@psb.vib-ugent.be.
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Herman
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium. frcop@psb.vib-ugent.be.|Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium. frcop@psb.vib-ugent.be.
authors.forename: Frederik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Coppens
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium. joblo@psb.vib-ugent.be.|Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium. joblo@psb.vib-ugent.be.
authors.forename: Jolien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Block
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium. brsla@psb.vib-ugent.be.|Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium. brsla@psb.vib-ugent.be.
authors.forename: Bram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Slabbinck
authors.affiliation: Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà 33, 56127, Pisa, Italy. m.dellacqua@sssup.it.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dell'Acqua
authors.affiliation: Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà 33, 56127, Pisa, Italy. m.pe@sssup.it.
authors.forename: Mario Enrico
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Pè
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium. stmae@psb.vib-ugent.be.|Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium. stmae@psb.vib-ugent.be.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maere
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium. hinel@psb.vib-ugent.be.|Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium. hinel@psb.vib-ugent.be.
authors.forename: Hilde
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nelissen
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium. diinz@psb.vib-ugent.be.|Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium. diinz@psb.vib-ugent.be.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Inzé
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D017343:Genes, Plant; D010641:Phenotype; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000254:growth & development; D059467:Transcriptome; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism