Leaves are the main photosynthetic organs of vascular plants and show considerable
diversity in their geometries, ranging from simple spoonlike forms to complex shapes with …

Robustness is characterized by the invariant expression of a phenotype in the face of a genetic
and/or environmental perturbation. Although phenotypic variance is a central measure in …

In the past two years novel connections were described between auxin function and
transcription factor patterning systems involved in both leaf initiation and elaboration of leaf axial …

Biological shapes are often produced by the iterative generation of repeated units. The
mechanistic basis of such iteration is an area of intense investigation. Leaf development in the …

Leaf development in higher plants requires the specification of leaf initials at the flanks of a
pluripotent structure termed the shoot apical meristem. In Arabidopsis, this process is …

The developmental basis for the generation of divergent leaf forms is largely unknown. Here
we investigate this problem by studying processes that distinguish development of two …

Despite critical roles in development and cancer, the mechanisms that specify invasive
cellular behavior are poorly understood. Through a screen of transcription factors in …

The pattern of plant organ initiation at the shoot apical meristem (SAM), termed phyllotaxis,
displays regularities that have long intrigued botanists and mathematicians alike. In the SAM, …

A major goal in biology is to identify the genetic basis for phenotypic diversity. This goal
underpins research in areas as diverse as evolutionary biology, plant breeding and human …

Immune genes are under intense, pathogen-induced pressure, which causes these genes
to diversify over evolutionary time and become species-specific. Through a forward genetic …