How leaves of mycoheterotrophic plants evolved - from the view point of a developmental biologist.

Abstract

How mycoheterotrophs have evolved and how they are sustained are enigmas. Structural analyses of the plastid genome and phylogenetic analyses of mycoheterotrophs have been used to identify mycorrhizal fungi. Molecular genetic studies have also revealed the mechanism for plant-fungi interactions. However, the evolution of the small, scale-like vegetative leaves of mycoheterotrophs is unknown. As almost all genes determining leaf size affect the floral organ sizes, it is highly implausible that loss-of-function mutations in leaf size regulators caused the evolution of smaller foliage leaves in mycoheterotrophs. In this Viewpoint, possible evolutionary scenarios of scale-like leaves in mycoheterotrophs are discussed from the perspective of developmental genetics of leaves in model plants, including: vegetative phase-specific changes in expression of leaf size regulator(s); the change from foliage leaves to scale-like lateral organs; and expression of suppressor(s) involved in organ development. These possibilities can be tested in future studies. This approach will provide a new research field in the developmental biology of plants.