Conserved genetic modules controlling lateral organ development

Development in multicellular organisms relies on establishing and maintaining gene expression profiles that give cells identity. Transcription factors establish gene expression profiles by integrating positional, temporal, and environmental cues to regulate genes essential for a cell's identity. These signals are often short lived while the differentiated state may persist for a long time. Epigenetic factors maintain these gene expression profiles by making heritable chemical alterations to target gene chromatin to stabilize transcriptional patterns. Here we explore the evolution and function of an epigenetic regulator, the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2), and a transcription factor, ASYMMETRIC LEAVES 1 (AS1) , in the lower eudicot Aquilegia.