Mechanical regulation of organ asymmetry in leaves

The mystery of asymmetry is a fundamental question in biology. Plants produce asymmetric shapes in many organs e.g., primordial cells on the leaf epidermis which undergo asymmetric divisions to define stomatal stem cells that ultimately form mature stomata. This asymmetric polarity of cells is governed by specific gene-expression and mechanical influences. Similarly, the dorso-ventral polarity (abaxial-adaxial) in leaves is regulated by specific gene expression. In this paper, Qi at al. provide evidence for effect of mechanical stress during development that outlines biological shapes. Nature Plants 10.1038/s41477-017-0008-6