Function of plant shoot meristems.
Growth and development of higher plants is directed by the continuous activity of meristems, sites of sustained cell division. Organs are formed at the flanks of the shoot meristem, while the central region contains pluripotent stem cells. The developmental programme of the meristem is coordinated by interactions between cells in separate regions of meristems, and some of the genes involved have been studied. Transcription factors can be exchanged between meristem cell layers. The control of stem cell fate involves a ligand/receptor interaction that regulates the activity of a transcription factor, and genes expressed in organ primordia can feedback to restrict the activity of meristematic genes.
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Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Universität zu Köln, D-50931 Köln, Gyrhofstrasse 17, Germany. ruediger.simon@uni-koeln.de
D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005801:Genes, Homeobox / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D018519:Meristem / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology