Researchers Yossi Capua and Yuval Eshed used two types of plants to determine the genetic basis of foliation (generation of leaves in plants). To do this, they made use of two different types of leafless tomato plants. The first type was a mutant tomato plant that did not generate leaves by deleting the LEAFLEES gene (image). The second type was tomato plants without leaves, but the absence of leaves was achieved thanks to hormonal inhibitors.
The researchers then micro-applied auxin, a phytohormone or plant hormone (the orange substance in the image), to the plant shoots, which plays a role in initiating foliation. By applying auxin in the two types of plants, the auxin receptors were activated in both cases. Still, only in the case of the induced leafless tomato plants, foliation occurred.
Mutant plants with the deletion of the LEAFLEES gene still did not produce leaves. The research provides the mechanisms and the context of localization in the development of plants, establishing the specific morphogenetics (the study of the relationship between genetics and the shape of organisms) produced by auxiliary generators such as auxin.
Image by Yossi CapuaReferences
- Capua, Y., & Eshed, Y. (2017). Coordination of auxin-triggered leaf initiation by tomato LEAFLESS Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 201617146.