I tested the hypothesis that early season herbivory by leaf-chewing insects affects distribution, densities, and survivorship of late-feeding, leaf-mining insects; early chewing may physically and chemically alter quality of leaves for later leaf miners on the shared host plant, Quercus emoryi. Proportions of intact leaves and leaves damaged by native leaf chewers on six control and six experim...

During their development, leaves progress through a highly controlled yet flexible developmental program. Transcription factors from the CIN-TCP family affect leaf shape by regulating the timing of leaf maturation. Characterization of mutants in the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) CIN-TCP gene LANCEOLATE (LA) led us to hypothesize that a threshold LA-like activity promotes leaf differentiation. H...

BACKGROUND The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) causes dramatic damage to plants by transmitting yield-limiting virus diseases. Previous studies proved that the tomato breeding line ABL 14-8 was resistant to B. tabaci, the vector of tomato yellow leaf curl disease (TYLCD). This resistance is based on the presence of type IV glandular trichomes and acylsucrose production. These trichomes deter se...

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) has been studied extensively due to its high economic value in the market, and high content in health-promoting antioxidant compounds. Tomato is also considered as an excellent model organism for studying the development and metabolism of fleshy fruits. However, the growth, yield and fruit quality of tomatoes can be affected by drought stress, a common abiotic s...

As part of an investigation of the growth of tomato plants supplied with either nitrate or ammonium nitrogen (6), leaves were assayed for NAD4 and NADP. Anderson and Vennesland (1) assayed NAD and NADP in various green tissues and reported recoveries between 50 % and 85 % of NAD and NADP added to spinach leaf extracts. Very low levels of NAD and NADP were recorded for tomato leaf extracts. Thes...

Tomato is one of the most economically and agriculturally important Solanaceous species and vegetable crops, serving as a model for examination of fruit biology and compound leaf development. Cytokinin is a plant hormone linked to the control of leaf development and is known to regulate a wide range of genes including many transcription factors. Currently there is little known of the leaf trans...