The case for morphogens in plants.
Plants and animals have evolved as multicellular organisms independently of one another. This raises the intriguing question of whether plants and animals have developed similar or distinct patterning strategies to establish their body plans. Animals use concentration gradients of signals termed morphogens for tissue patterning, but whether they are also used by plants is unclear. Here we compare and contrast the plant hormone auxin with animal morphogens, and speculate as to whether plants have independently evolved similar mechanisms to regulate pattern formation.
Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, S-901 83, Umea, Sweden.
Rishikesh P
RP
Bhalerao
Malcolm J
MJ
Bennett
D000818:Animals; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids / Q000502:physiology*; D063245:Plant Development; D010944:Plants / Q000033:anatomy & histology
D007210:Indoleacetic Acids