SummaryLeaf thickness, the leaf growth in the third dimension as quantified by the distance between the adaxial and abaxial surface, is an indispensable aspect of leaf development. The fitness of a plant is strongly influenced by leaf thickness via modulation of major physiological processes, including photosynthesis and water use efficiency. The cellular basis of leaf thickness by alterations in either cell size or the number of cell layers is envisaged using Arabidopsis leaf thickness mutants, such as angustifolia (an) and rotundifolia (rot). Environmental factors coordinate with endogenous signaling mechanisms to exhibit leaf thickness plasticity. Plants growing in different ecological and environmental regimes show different leaf thickness attributes. However, genetic and molecular understandings of leaf thickness regulation remain largely limited. In this review, we highlight how cellular growth is transposed to fine‐tune the leaf thickness via the integration of potential cues and molecular players. We further discuss the physiological significance of leaf thickness plasticity to the environmental cues that might serve as ecological adaptation enabling the plants to withstand future climatic conditions. Taken together, we seek to bridge the genetics and molecular biology of leaf thickness to its physiological significance so that leaf thickness can be systemically targeted in crop improvement programs.

中文翻译：

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三维叶片生长：从遗传调控到生态生理学的叶片厚度视角


摘要叶厚，即由近轴和远轴表面之间的距离量化的第三维叶子生长，是叶子发育不可或缺的一个方面。植物的适应性受叶厚的强烈影响，通过调节主要生理过程，包括光合作用和水分利用效率。使用拟南芥叶厚突变体，例如叶子 （an） 和 rotundifolia （rot），设想通过改变细胞大小或细胞层数来形成叶厚度的细胞基础。环境因素与内源性信号机制协调，表现出叶厚可塑性。生长在不同的生态和环境条件下的植物表现出不同的叶厚属性。然而，对叶片厚度调节的遗传学和分子学理解在很大程度上仍然有限。在这篇综述中，我们重点介绍了细胞生长如何通过整合潜在线索和分子参与者来转座以微调叶子的厚度。我们进一步讨论了叶厚可塑性对环境线索的生理意义，这些环境线索可能作为生态适应，使植物能够承受未来的气候条件。综上所述，我们寻求将叶厚的遗传学和分子生物学与其生理意义联系起来，以便在作物改良计划中系统地靶向叶厚。