PEAPOD repressors modulate and coordinate developmental responses to light intensity in Arabidopsis.

Higher plants adapt to different light intensities by altering hypocotyl elongation, stomatal density, seed size, and flowering time. Despite the importance of this developmental plasticity, knowledge of the underlying genetic and molecular mechanisms modulating and coordinating responses to light intensity remains incomplete. Here, I report that in Arabidopsis the PEAPOD (PPD) repressors PPD1 and PPD2 prevent exaggerated responses to light intensity.

The origin, initiation and development of axillary shoot meristems in Lotus japonicus.

Background And Aims: Lotus japonicus 'Gifu' develops multiple axillary shoots in the cotyledonary node region throughout the growth of the plant. The origin, initiation and development of these axillary meristems were investigated.

Methods: Morphological, histological and mRNA in situ analyses were done to characterize the ontogeny of cotyledonary axillary shoot meristems in Lotus.

PEAPOD regulates lamina size and curvature in Arabidopsis.

Although a complex pattern of interspersed cell proliferation and cell differentiation is known to occur during leaf blade development in eudicot plants, the genetic mechanisms coordinating this growth are unclear. In Arabidopsis, deletion of the PEAPOD (PPD) locus increases leaf lamina size and results in dome-shaped rather than flat leaves. Siliques are also altered in shape because of extra lamina growth.

The white clover enod40 gene family. Expression patterns of two types of genes indicate a role in vascular function.

Enod40 is one of the genes associated with legume nodule development and has a putative role in general plant organogenesis. We have isolated a small enod40 gene family from white clover (Trifolium repens), with three genes designated Trenod40-1, Trenod40-2, and Trenod40-3, all containing the conserved enod40 regions I and II. Trenod40-1 and Trenod40-2 share over 90% homology in the transcribed regions and high levels of similarity in their upstream regulatory sequences.