Peripheral straightness leads to shape diversification during formations of entire leaves

The ways to read out positional information are essential to determine final shapes in developmental processes. Relative shaping to different sizes of positional information enables robust morphogenesis; however, the same difference sometimes causes diversity. Different responses to a positional information will enable such switching of identical/diverse shapes, though detail mechanisms remain unknown.

In this paper, we describe growing forms by constructing the contour of a two-dimensional object using propagating points and segments connecting them. In plant morphogenesis that lacks almost cell movements, tissue growth accompanied by cell divisions is central. We focused on peripheral cell composition in leaf formation as a frame. The growth with or without cell division on the periphery was analyzed with simple algorithms. We calculated the shapes of entire leaves with different ovality using combined growth algorithms as a model. Responces of the respective algorithms to simple positional information were explored to seek the origin of the shape diversification.

The algorithm for “growth with cell divisions” maintained identical shapes; however, diverse shapes were generated by the algorithm “growth without cell division” with gradients. The simplified model allowed us to interpret the oval shape diversity due to slants on edges. We concluded that peripheral straightness can generate shape diversity, at least in leaf morphogenesis.