Abstract
Unifacial leaves develop abaxialized leaf blades and they have been evolved in a number of divergent species in monocots. The unifacial leaves provide very unique opportunities for the developmental studies of the leaf axes formation in monocots. In addition, the mechanism of the parallel evolution of such drastic changes in leaf polarities is of interest from an evolutionary viewpoint.
We are studying molecular genetic mechanisms of the unifacial leaf development and their evolution, mainly using Juncus prismatocarpus (Juncaceae) as a model. To reveal the genetic frameworks of unifacial leaf development, we established a system of genetics and isolated mutants, which show interesting phenotypes in leaf structures. In this presentation, we will report the phenotypes of these mutants and discuss the genetic mechanism of unifacial leaf development in combination with gene expression studies and comparative molecular genetics in Juncus.
