Heterochrony in plant development

Abstract Plants proceed through several distinct phases of growth and development in their life cycle. Under normal conditions, one phase terminates as another begins, but the relative time at which the phases initiate and terminate can be altered experimentally. New phenotypes are obtained when two developmental phases are expressed at the same time, as well as when phases are shifted coordinately. By analyzing these phenotypes, we can learn how plants normally regulate the transitions between developmental phases.

摘要 植物在其生命周期中会经历几个不同的生长和发育阶段。在正常条件下，一个阶段结束时另一个阶段开始，但这些阶段起始和结束的相对时间可以通过实验改变。当两个发育阶段同时表达以及阶段协同转换时，会产生新的表型。通过分析这些表型，我们可以了解植物通常是如何调控发育阶段之间的转换的。