Selected publications

Durney, C.H, Wilson, M.J., McGregor S., Armand, J., Smith, R.S., Gray, J.E., Morris, R.J. & Fleming, A.J.* (2023) Grasses exploit geometry to achieve improved guard cell dynamics Current Biology 33, 2814-2822 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.05.051 

Xiao, Y; Sloan, J; Hepworth, C; Fradera-Soler, M; Mathers, A; Thorley, R; Baillie, A; Jones, H; Chang, T; Chen, X; Yaapar, N; Osborne, C; Sturrock, C; Mooney, S; Fleming, A.J.*; Zhu, X-G (2023) Defining the scope for altering rice leaf anatomy to improve photosynthesis: A modelling approach New Phytologist 237, 441-453 https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18564

Carroll, S., Amsbury, S., Durney C.H, Smith, R.S., Morris, R.J., Gray, J.E., & Fleming, A.J.* (2022) Altering arabinans increases Arabidopsis guard cell flexibility and stomatal opening Current Biology 32, 3170-3179 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.05.042

Lundgren, M.R, Mathers, A., Baillie, A.L., Dunn, J., Wilson, M.J., Hunt, L., Pajor, R., Fradera-Soler, M., Rolfe, S., Osborne, C.P., Sturrock, C.J., Gray, J.E., Mooney, S.J. & Fleming, A.J.* (2019) Mesophyll porosity is modulated by the presence of functional stomata. Nature Communications 10, Article number: 2825 doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-10826-5

Carter, R., Woolfenden, H., Baillie, A., Amsbury, S., Carroll, S., Healicon, E., Sovatzoglou, S., Braybrook, S., Gray, J.E., Hobbs, J., Morris, R.J., & Fleming, A.J.* (2017) Stomatal opening involves polar, not radial, stiffening of guard cells. Current Biology 27, 2974–2983 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.08.006

Amsbury et al. (2016) Stomatal function requires pectin de-methyl-esterification of the guard cell wall Current Biology 26, 2899–2906.
This paper showed that the degree of pectin methylation in the wall sets the range of cell swelling, with consequences for plant water use and growth being dependent on CO2 level.

Chater et al (2011) Regulatory mechanism controlling stomatal behaviour conserved across 400 million years of land plant evolution. Current Biology 21, 1025–1029.
This paper indicated that an ABA signalling mechanism required for stomatal function is evolutionary conserved.

Pien et al (2001) Local induction of expansin is sufficient to induce the entire process of leaf development and to modify leaf shape. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 98, 11812–11817.
This showed that manipulation of an endogenous cell wall-related gene could be used to initiate leaf formation, supporting the importance of cell wall mechanics in development.

Fleming et al (1997) Induction of leaf primordia by the cell wall protein expansin. Science 276, 1415–1418.
This paper provided the first evidence that the extensibility of the cell wall in the meristem can control morphogenesis.