Transcriptomics of sub-sectioned maize leaf primodiun

Typical C4 plant maize possesses highly optimized Kranz-type leaf anatomy, whereby concentric wreaths of mesophyll and bundle sheath cells surround closely spaced veins, to support efficient CO2 concentration mechanism. Kranz anatomy is derived from the middle ground meristem (mGM), but regulators for its formation remains largely unknown. By distinguishing the active zone of Kranz-type vascular development within single early leaf primordium, transcriptomics of sub-sectioned maize primordia identified a cohort of genes likely involved in early Kranz development.