Ontogenetic and time-course transcriptomic analyses of maize leaf primordia reveal regulators of transverse vein development

Two sets of two initial cells on opposing sides of adjacent maize longitudinal veins recruit intervening ground cells to form transverse provascular strands, integrating fully despite asynchronous development.

• Why it matters: Transverse vein patterning is poorly understood in maize, limiting insight into how vascular networks form connections that support leaf structure and potentially C4 photosynthetic efficiency.
• What they did: Anatomical tracing with PIN1a-YFP mapped transverse vein ontogeny, auxin inhibitor treatment tested initiation dependence, and time-course RNAseq of leaf primordia identified a pre-development transcriptional signature.
• The result: EREB41 and EREB114 are necessary for transverse vein formation, and the pre-patterned transcriptional program enables specification, assembly, and integration of new connections into the existing longitudinal network.

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