Abstract
Plant leaves have not only two-dimensional dimensions but also a thickness. A shape and/or a size of mesophyll and/or epidermal cells, and a layer number of mesophyll cells can determine leaf thickness. It has been previously reported that the number of mesophyll layers is affected by growth conditions. However, the molecular mechanisms of the control of the layer number are still unknown. In order to reveal the mechanisms for leaf-thickness control, we developed new equipment for measurement of leaf thickness. In the course of the screening of mutants of the leaf-thickness regulation, we isolated an Arabidopsis N374 mutant that possesses the increased number of the mesophyll layers from T-DNA tagged lines. N374 mutation not only increased number of the mesophyll layers but also decreased the cell size and a leaf area. The latest results of analyses of N374 will be presented.
