Understanding how auxin and dorsoventral patterning are coordinated in plants

Plant organs such as leaves are made up of distinct tissues in their top (dorsal) and bottom (ventral) halves. This patterning is genetically determined early in their development, and is associated with the growth hormone auxin. This proposal will reveal molecular mechanisms underlying the critical coordination between the patterning genes and auxin accumulation. It will use our newly developed microscopy techniques that, for the first time, enable gene activities and growth dynamics to be visualized simultaneously in live plants.