Abstract
In Arabidopsis thaliana asymmetric leaves2 (as2) and as1 mutants, asymmetrically lobed, downwardly curled and shorten leaves are observed. The mutants also show defects in the establishment of leaf adaxial-abaxial polarity in certain mutant backgrounds. We screened mutants that show defects in the establishment of the polarity in as1 or as2 backgrounds to identify novel factors genetically interacting with AS1 and AS2. We used formation of filamentous leaves as a marker of defects in the leaf adaxial-abaxial polarity. We identified several mutants and designated one of the mutants as enhancer of asymmetric leaves1 and asymmetric leaves2 (eal). In as1 eal and as2 eal double mutants, abaxialized filamentous leaves were observed. The eal mutation causes early transition from mitotic cell cycle to endocycle. EAL gene encodes a protein well conserved from fungi to human. In fungi Aspergillus nidulans, it has been reported that the function of EAL homolog is required for the nuclear movement. We induced A. thaliana EAL to a A. nidulans mutant. The A. thaliana EAL complemented defects of the A. nidulans mutant. This result indicates that the EAL homologs are also functionally conserved.
