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. 2008 Jul 15;6(7):e174.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0060174.

Controlling size in multicellular organs: focus on the leaf

Hirokazu Tsukaya  1
Affiliations

Controlling size in multicellular organs: focus on the leaf

Hirokazu Tsukaya. PLoS Biol. .

Abstract

In leaves, cells get larger as cell division decreases or the ploidy increases. This might seem a logical response, but the controls are more complicated.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Compensation Does Not Maintain the Overall Size and Shape of Leaves
(A) Gross morphology of the sixth leaf of wild-type Columbia (wt: left) and KRP2-over-expressor (o/x: right) plants. There are significant differences in the size and shape of the leaves. Scale bar, 1 mm. (B) A paradermal view of the first layer of palisade tissue from the leaves shown in panel (A): Left, wt Columbia, and right, KRP2-o/x. Scale bar, 100 μm. Note the increase in cell size (a result of compensated cell enlargement) in the KPR2-o/x.
Figure 2
Figure 2. The Mysterious Relationship between Polyploidy and Organ/Cell Size
Diploid, tetraploid, and octaploid Arabidopsis Columbia plants, two weeks after sowing, are shown from left to right. (A) Gross morphology of the plantlets. The octaploid plant has smaller leaves compared to the diploid and tetraploid plants. c, cotyledon. Unit of scale, 1 mm. (B) Paradermal view of the palisade cells in the first leaves. From left to right, diploid, tetraploid, and octaploid. Bar, 100 μm.
Figure 3
Figure 3. A Comparison of Diploid and Tetraploid Bin4 Mutant Plants to Diploid and Tetraploid Wild-Type Columbia Plants
Tetraploidization partially recovered the dwarfism observed in the diploid bin4 mutant. See [29] for further details. Unit of scale, 1 mm.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Tsukaya H. Relationship between shape of cells and shape of the organ. In: Imazeki H, Shibaoka H, editors. Phytohormones and cell shape. Tokyo: Gakkai-shuppann Center; 1998. pp. 177–184. [In Japanese.]
    1. Tsukaya H. Interpretation of mutants in leaf morphology: Genetic evidence for a compensatory system in leaf morphogenesis that provides a new link between cell and organismal theory. Int Rev Cytol. 2002;217:1–39. - PubMed
    1. Beemster GT, Fiorani F, Inzé D. Cell cycle: The key to plant growth control. Trends Plant Sci. 2003;8:154–158. - PubMed
    1. Ferjani A, Horiguchi G, Tsukaya H. Analysis of leaf development in fugu mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana reveals three compensation modes that modulate cell expansion in determinate organs. Plant Physiol. 2007;144:988–999. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Tsukaya H, Beemster G. Genetics, cell cycle and cell expansion in organogenesis in plants. J Plant Res. 2006;119:1–4. - PubMed

Publication types