Plant Leaf Cells Self-Organize for Optimal Photosynthesis

How small RNAs craft a world of leaf shapes: This series of simulations examines a leaf section to re-veal how minor variations in gene interactions can lead to distinct spatial patterns of gene activity. These differences between the top (red) and bottom (blue) parts may determine the ultimate shape of the leaf. Left: Illustrates a typical flat leaf maintaining a stable bipolar gene activity pattern. Center: Shows a leaf with a shifted polarity, resulting in a structure akin to that seen in the specialized morphology of carnivorous plants. Right: Displays a loss of polarity, where a radial gene activity pattern contributes to the formation of tendril-like features, common in climbing plants.

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