title: Connecting the paths in plant stem cell regulation.
abstract: Stem cell niches are specialized microenvironments where pluripotent cells are maintained to provide undifferentiated cells for the formation of new tissues and organs. The balance between stem cell maintenance within the niche and differentiation of cells that exit it is regulated by local cell-cell communication, together with external cues. Recent findings have shown connections between key developmental pathways and added significant insights into the central principles of stem cell maintenance in plant meristems. These insights include the convergence of important stem cell transcriptional regulators with cytokinin signaling in the shoot meristem, the biochemical dissection of peptide signaling in the shoot niche and the identification of conserved regulators in shoot and root niches.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg, Freiburg 79104, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthew R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laux
mesh_terms: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D003583:Cytokinins / Q000378:metabolism; D018519:Meristem / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D059828:Plant Cells; D063245:Plant Development; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: C118167:AT2G27250 protein, Arabidopsis; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D003583:Cytokinins; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D014157:Transcription Factors