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Leaf development describes the coordinated morphogenesis process by which a leaf is formed, and grows to become a mature photosynthetic organ. It starts from the initiation of a primordium in the shoot meristem, and ends with the fully structured leaf, composed of several cell types such as trichomes, guard cells, epidermal and mesophyll layers, and vascular cells.
Shade limits leaf growth. Here, Wang et al. show that sucrose alleviates shade-repressed leaf development by activating TOR and stabilizing PHYA, thereby regulating cytokinin and leaf development-related genes.
Plants require the plastid encoded RNA polymerase PEP to generate viable photosynthetic apparatus. Here the authors genetically engineer an optoswitch that enables photo-induced complementation of an albino mutant restoring transcription and chloroplast biogenesis on demand.
The genome of Arundinella anomala, a C4 grass with variant Kranz anatomy and interveinal distinctive cells, is sequenced and annotated, followed by single-cell transcriptomes for comparative analyses between C4 bundle sheath cells and interveinal distinctive cells.
Spinach has epidermal bladder cells that accumulate Cl and K, a feature not previously documented in this species. Like quinoa, spinach maintains growth under salinity, suggesting facultative halophyte status and unique ion partitioning.
Plant development is characterized by periodic morphogenesis, yet regulatory mechanisms underlying the periodicity remain unknown. Tameshige et al. reveal that bistable cellular status modulates the spatial pattern of periodic leaf morphogenesis.
The flat structure of a leaf blade enables it to function as a photosynthetic organ for efficient light capture. The leaf rim or the edge-most region of leaf margin directs the planar growth of both leaves and ligules in grasses.
Leaf development follows a common principle but is also flexibly tuned in different species in a spatiotemporal manner. A novel regulatory mechanism controlling leaflet formation has been identified in Medicago.
