The same family of genes for different foliar forms

2009/02/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Botanika
• Genetika

From cabbage to maple, the shape of multi-plant leaves is determined by the same gene family. A group of the French National Agricultural Research Institute has concluded this by analyzing four plants that separated from the common ancestor 125 million years ago. The researchers analyzed where the two genes in the gene family were expressed, and then saw what happened if they interrupted their expression. Well, in all the studied plants it was observed that by silencing the genes, the leaves, the leaflets and the edges grew without definite form.