About this Research Topic
Recent studies on the model species, such as Arabidopsis and Antirrhinum, have uncovered an several genes and pathways that control petal identity specification, growth and cell type differentiation. These results have started building a framework for understanding the process and mechanisms of petal organogenesis, and provided insights in the genetic control of plant organ growth in general. In the proposed Research Topic, we highlight current advances in the genetic, molecular and cellular studies of petal development in both model and non-model species. We aim to further elucidate how the key genetic regulators act together to control cell division, expansion and differentiation in petal organogenesis; how these critical processes coordinate to pattern the petal as a whole; and how evolution impinges on the functions of these key regulators to create the diverse form of petals in the nature.
Our Research Topic covers the following themes:
- Genetic and epigenetic regulation of petal size and shape, particularly the related studies using quantitative approaches.
- Cellular mechanisms of petal organogenesis.
- Functional conservation and specification of important petal regulators in evolution.
- Evolutionary basis of variation in petal morphology, both from genetic and morphological perspectives.
We invite submissions of Original Research, Review, Mini Review, and Opinion manuscripts related to the above topics. In particular, we welcome the articles that combine molecular genetic approaches with other cutting-edge techniques, such as high-resolution imaging, mathematic modeling and biomechanical methods etc, for submission.
Keywords: Petal organogenesis, cell division and expansion, cell type specification, plant evolution
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.