The indeterminate shoot apical meristem of plants is characterized by the expression of the Class 1 KNOTTED1-LIKE HOMEOBOX (KNOX1) genes. KNOX1 genes have been implicated in the acquisition and/or maintenance of meristematic fate. One of the earliest indicators of a switch in fate from indeterminate meristem to determinate leaf primordium is the down-regulation of KNOX1 genes orthologous to SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM) in Arabidopsis (hereafter called STM genes) in the initiating primordia. In simple leafed plants, this down-regulation persists during leaf formation. In compound leafed plants, however, KNOX1 gene expression is reestablished later in the developing primordia, creating an indeterminate environment for leaflet formation. Despite this knowledge, most aspects of how STM gene expression is regulated remain largely unknown. Here, we identify two evolutionarily conserved noncoding sequences within the 5 upstream region of STM genes in both simple and compound leafed species across monocots and dicots. We show that one of these elements is involved in the regulation of the persistent repression and/or the reestablishment of STM expression in the developing leaves but is not involved in the initial down-regulation in the initiating primordia. We also show evidence that this regulation is developmentally significant for leaf formation in the pathway involving ASYMMETRIC LEAVES1/2 (AS1/2) gene expression; these genes are known to function in leaf development. Together, these findings reveal a regulatory point of leaf development mediated through a conserved, noncoding sequence in STM genes.evolution ͉ KNOX1 ͉ shoot apical meristem T he shoot apical meristem (SAM) of plants is an indeterminate structure and the source of stem cells from which all aerial organs are derived. Indeterminacy during development is regulated by a suite of genes that function in the SAM. The process of organ initiation begins when cells in the incipient organ primordium change identity from indeterminate to determinate. The indeterminate SAM is characterized by the expression of the Class 1 KNOTTED1-LIKE HOMEOBOX (KNOX1) genes. KNOX1 genes have been implicated in the acquisition and/or maintenance of meristematic fate (1, 2). One of the earliest indicators of a switch in fate from indeterminate meristem to determinate leaf primordium is the down-regulation of KNOX1 genes orthologous to SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM) in Arabidopsis (hereafter called STM genes) in the incipient primordia (1).The SAM can give rise to two different leaf forms, simple or compound (3), and KNOX1 genes are down-regulated in the incipient primordia in both compound and simple leafed species. In simple leafed plants, this down-regulation persists during leaf formation (4-7), and overexpression of these genes is sufficient to cause leaf lobing and ectopic meristem formation (8-11). However, KNOX1 expression is reestablished later in the developing primordia of compound leafed plants (12-15). Additionally, overexpression of KNOX1 genes in transgenic tomato plants or spo...

Lespedeza (tribe Desmodieae, Fabaceae) follows a disjunct distribution in eastern Asia and eastern North America. Phylogenetic relationships among its species and related taxa were inferred from nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and plastid sequences (trnH-psbA, psbK-psbI, trnK-matK and rpoC1). We examined 35 species of Lespedeza, two of Kummerowia and one of Campylotropis, the sole constituents of the Lespedeza group. An analysis of these data revealed that the genus Campylotropis is sister to the other two genera. However, we were unable to resolve the relationships between Kummerowia and Lespedeza in the strict consensus trees of parsimony analyses based on plastid and combined DNA data. In the genus Lespedeza, the Old World subgenus Macrolespedeza is monophyletic, whereas the transcontinental subgenus Lespedeza is paraphyletic. Monophyly of eastern Asian species and of North American species is strongly supported. Although inconsistent with the traditional classification, this phylogenetic finding is consistent with seedling morphology. Three subgroups recognized in subgenus Macrolespedeza were unresolved in our phylogenetic trees. An incongruence length difference (ILD) test indicated that the two partitions (nuclear ITS and plastid sequences) were significantly incongruent, perhaps because of hybridization between species in Lespedeza. Most of the primary clades of tribe Desmodieae are Asian, implying that the relatively few New World ones, such as those in Lespedeza, are more recently derived from Asia.

Little attention has been given to sound as an element of interaction although an interaction design utilizes five senses of the human being. While designing the portable microwave oven, we selected the sound as a topic of our study. As several sounds have already been applied to products, such as the buzz sound in the walk signal or a warning sound in the computer, the focus of research is that the sound may have to be different vis-à-vis the product's functionality or locations where it is used. Conclusions have not been made a priori that a product developer should create new sounds for new products. For this purpose, the research has been conducted to develop the sound concept in nexus with the product and the outdoor environment. Developed sounds were then evaluated and analyzed by a target audience. With this analysis, we were able to adopt proper portable microwave oven sounds that allowed potential users to feel familiar, to respond pleasantly amid outdoor noises, and to expect the taste of food. During the course of the experiment, we came to the conclusion that even with the same sound and some modifications made by applying different lengths, tones, rhythms, and/or resonance allowed users to recognize the functions or features of the products. The results have changed our evaluation on the sound itself and will extend the value of sound interaction between human beings and products.

The Knotted‐like homeobox (KNOX) genes play a profound role in shoot apical meristem organization, maintenance and leaf initiation. A MYB domain gene PHANTASTICA plays a role in regulating dorsal–ventral polarity in lateral organs and also downregulates a subset of KNOX genes.