Polarity formation is central to leaf morphogenesis, and several key genes that function in adaxial-abaxial polarity establishment have been identified and characterized extensively. We previously reported that Arabidopsis thaliana ASYMMERTIC LEAVES1 (AS1) and AS2 are important in promoting leaf adaxial fates. We obtained an as2 enhancer mutant, asymmetric leaves enhancer3 (ae3), which demonstr...

Stem cells in the shoot apex of plants produce cells required for the formation of new leaves. Adult leaves are composed of multiple tissue layers arranged along the dorso-ventral (adaxial/abaxial) axis. Class III homeodomain leucine zipper (HD-ZIPIII) transcription factors play an important role in the set-up of leaf polarity in plants. Loss of HD-ZIPIII function results in strongly misshapen ...

Class III HD-Zip (HD-Zip III) family genes play key roles in a number of fundamental developmental programs in Arabidopsis thaliana, such as embryo patterning, meristem initiation and homeostasis, lateral organ polarity and vascular development. Semidominant gain-of-function alleles of the HD-Zip III genes PHABULOSA (PHB), PHAVOLUTA (PHV) and REVOLUTA (REV) disrupt the negative regulation of th...

An epidemiological study on animal poisoning due to plants and zootoxins has been carried out by the Poison Control Centre of Milan (CAV) in collaboration with University (Italy). During period January 2015–March 2019, CAV received 932 calls poisonings, 12.66% (n = 118) which were related zootoxins. Among these, 95 enquiries (80.51%) concerned exposures 23 (19.49%) The dog was species most freq...

BACKGROUND South African plant species of the genera Fadogia, Pavetta and Vangueria (all belonging to Rubiaceae) are known to cause gousiekte (literally 'quick disease'), a fatal cardiotoxicosis of ruminants characterised by acute heart failure four to eight weeks after ingestion. Noteworthy is that all these plants harbour endophytes in their leaves: nodulating bacteria in specialized nodules ...