The Genetic Relationship between Leaf Margin Regulation and Vascular Patterning in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>
Lulua Rawwas
Abstract
Abstract: Little is understood regarding the development and evolution of leaf shape and vein pattern. In particular, many mechanisms of plant growth and adaptation remain unknown. By reviewing the effects of ICK1, an Inhibitor of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase1, on cell cycling in Arabidopsis thaliana leaf mutants, this study seeks to determine the relationship between leaf marginal serrations and secondary veins in A. thaliana. Analyzing the overexpression of ICK1 in transgenic plants and the genetic pathways that regulate cell division will provide insight into the relationship between cell proliferation and margin development in A. thaliana leaves. Research has found that the overexpression of ICK1 increased the depth of marginal serrations while decreasing the number of serrations, overall leaf areas, total cell numbers, and vein densities. These results suggest that the loss of serrations induced by the inhibition of cell division is directly related to the loss of secondary veins in A. thaliana leaves.
