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Clonal reproduction

Genomic cradle for thousands

A genomic analysis reveals how Kalanchoe succulents, known as the ‘mother of thousands’, reinvent propagation. By losing meristem activity regulators, amplifying developmental genes and opening up chromatin, these plants sprout new plantlets from their leaves, with implications for plant totipotency and crop engineering.

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Fig. 1: The genomic foundation of asexual leaf reproduction in Kalanchoe.

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Correspondence to Kenji Fukushima.

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Fukushima, K. Genomic cradle for thousands. Nat. Plants (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-025-02215-2

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