Effect of constitutive expression of ARGOS-LIKE gene on sizes of cells and organs of transgenic tobacco plants

Transgenic tobacco plants that overexpress the ARGOS-LIKE (ARL) gene of Arabidopsis thaliana have been developed. The transgenic plants possessed increased sizes of leaves and stem, whereas the magnitude of flowers was modified to a lesser degree. The increase in the organ sizes was a result of stimulation of cell expansion; the cell quantity in the organ was even decreased. Ectopic expression of the ARL gene was promoted in order to increase in the level of mRNA of tobacco expansin NtEXPA5. It has been shown that the ARL gene of A. thaliana can be used to obtain transgenic plants with increased sizes of the leaves and stem.