Computational Modeling of the Early Development of Embryonic Leaves in Maize

Maize is a well-studied crop. It has been used as a model plant for C4 studies of photosynthesis, as its leaves possess the Kranz Structure (KS). Unfortunately, only few studies addressed the use of computational models to describe dry maize. In particular, the mechanism of KS formation remains unclear during leaf development. This study aims to develop a computational model to answer the following two questions for leaf development in dry maze: (1) How Auxin inhibits BDL, and (2) How the MP transcription activates BDL in the seed of dry maize in early stages of embryonic leaves. We first analyze dry maize based on the S-systems model and compare it with two different regulatory networks: (1) Auxin inhibits BODENLOS (BDL), and (2) MONOPTEROS (MP) activates BODENLOS (BDL). Our hypotheses are: (1) Auxin does not inhibit BDL, and (2) MP does not activate BDL. In the second stage, we compare the S-systems parameter estimation method (SPEM) and the engineering method to analyze the two regulatory networks. Our result suggests a general mechanism for studying how the transient accumulation of Auxin activates self-sustaining and how, similar to other genetic switches, it results in unequivocal developmental responses of leaves in dry maize. The MP activates BDL are very important to the Auxin signaling mediated by MP and BDL proteins which are essential for cell-fate specification events in early embryogenesis of maize.