title: From thin to thick: major transitions during stem development.
abstract: The variability of shoot architecture in plants is striking and one of the most extreme examples of adaptive growth in higher organisms. Mediated by the differential activity of apical and lateral meristems, flexibility in stem growth essentially contributes to this variability. In spite of this importance, the regulation of major events in stem development is largely unexplored. Recently, however, novel approaches exploiting knowledge from root and leaf development are starting to shed light on molecular mechanisms that regulate this essential plant organ. In this review, we summarize our understanding of initial patterning events in stems, discuss prerequisites for the initiation of lateral stem growth and highlight the burning questions in this context.
authors.affiliation: Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Dr Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: Lilian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nehlin
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Greb
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D019521:Body Patterning; D002450:Cell Communication; D063245:Plant Development; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics