Induction of gemma (clonal propagule) formation via the activation of GEMMIFER gene. (left) Whole plant image. (right) Magnified view of gemmae forming on the plant surface. Credit: Yuki Hirakawa / Hiroshima University A Hiroshima-University-led research team has discovered a key gene responsible for the initiation of gemma development, acting as a "master switch" to start asexual reproduction (cloning) in the model plant Marchantia polymorpha (common liverwort). Many plants possess the extraordinary ability to bypass seeds and reproduce through asexual reproduction. This flexibility allows plants to reproduce entire bodies from a specialized cell. However, the exact cellular and genetic "switches" behind this process have remained a mystery. While such capacity is widespread across the plant kingdom, it remains a challenge to study. The primary reason is that standard model organisms, such as Arabidopsis thaliana, do not naturally reproduce in this manner.…