Genetic Regulation of Plant Morphology and Development
Summary
Plant form and architecture emerge from a tightly orchestrated interplay between genetic programmes and environmental cues. Core regulatory circuits involve transcription factors, phytohormone signalling modules and epigenetic marks that collectively direct cell division, expansion and differentiation. Auxin transporters and receptors establish polarity and organ patterning, while gibberellins, cytokinins and brassinosteroids modulate growth rates and organ size. Non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs and small interfering RNAs, fine-tune gene expression post-transcriptionally, often by targeting messenger RNAs encoding key developmental regulators. Genetic variation in these components underpins morphological diversity and has been exploited in domestication to generate dwarf or lodging-resistant varieties. Contemporary approaches such as multi-omics integration and precision genome editing are now revealing how dynamic interactions among regulatory elements shape leaf form, stem elongation and reproductive architecture. Advances in understanding these networks hold promise for breeding climate-resilient crops with optimised yield, resource use efficiency and structural stability.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Recent studies have explored how combining mutations in distinct cell-wall and hormone pathways can mitigate trade-offs in biomass crops. One investigation demonstrated that introducing a defect in auxin efflux alongside altered lignin biosynthesis produces maize plants with reduced stem lignin, maintained mechanical strength and prolonged greenness, suggesting new routes to improve feedstock quality without compromising agronomic performance.
Genetic Regulation of Plant Morphology and Development publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in genetic regulation of plant morphology and development across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Auxin: A plant hormone that regulates cell elongation, division and differentiation.
MicroRNA (miRNA): A short non-coding RNA that silences target mRNAs to control gene expression.
Small interfering RNA (siRNA): A double-stranded RNA molecule that directs sequence-specific RNA degradation.
Transcription factor: A protein that binds DNA to activate or repress gene transcription.
Epigenetics: Heritable changes in gene function without alteration of the DNA sequence, often via DNA methylation or histone modification.
Heterosis: The phenomenon where hybrids exhibit superior traits compared with parent lines, often height and vigour.
References
- Integrated Multi-Omics Reveals Significant Roles of Non-Additively Expressed Small RNAs in Heterosis for Maize Plant Height. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
- Natural Variation and Domestication Selection of ZmPGP1 Affects Plant Architecture and Yield-Related Traits in Maize. Genes (2019).
- System Analysis of MIRNAs in Maize Internode Elongation. Biomolecules (2019).
- Brachytic2 mutation is able to counteract the main pleiotropic effects of brown midrib3 mutant in maize. Scientific Reports (2022).
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