My work focuses on the role of the "Three amino acid loop extension” (TALE) homeodomain transcription factors in plant development. These transcription factors constitute major regulators of meristem activity and lateral organ boundary. Meristems contain a pool of stem cells whose maintenance and division generates lateral organs throughout the life of a plant. Lateral organ boundaries are domains of specific growth that separate the meristem from the growing primordium or adjacent organs. These domains control organ separation, plant architecture, organ abscission, and fruit dehiscence. The TALE family comprises the KNOTTED (KNOX) and the BEL1-like (BELL) homeodomain transcription factors, which function as heterodimers. In collaboration with the laboratory of Shelley Hepworth, we demonstrated that the BLADE ON PETIOLE (BOP) co-regulators and KNAT6, ATH1 KNAT2 TALE transcription factors form a module to maintain plant boundaries. We show recently the function of this module in floral organ abscission. Currently we are investigating its role in fruit dehiscence.