Control of differentiation and cell cycling in leaf development

Abstract

[EN]Leaf development is characterised by a period of mitotic cycles which control the cell number in the developing organ followed by cell expansion and an associated switch to endocycles. D-type cyclin (CYCD) activity plays an important role in determining the timing of this switch during leaf development. Leaf development also requires the down-regulation of meristem markers such as SHOOTMERISTEMLESS (STM), whose continued expression promotes the maintenance of an undifferentiated state and continued mitotic cycles. Cytokinin appears to be closely involved in determining the mitotic state acting both downstream of STM and upstream of CYCD activity and the interplay of these factors with cell cycle control and the transition from mitotic cycles to endocycles will be discussed