title: How do 'housekeeping' genes control organogenesis?--Unexpected new findings on the role of housekeeping genes in cell and organ differentiation.
abstract: In recent years, an increasing number of mutations in what would appear to be 'housekeeping genes' have been identified as having unexpectedly specific defects in multicellular organogenesis. This is also the case for organogenesis in seed plants. Although it is not surprising that loss-of-function mutations in 'housekeeping' genes result in lethality or growth retardation, it is surprising when (1) the mutant phenotype results from the loss of function of a 'housekeeping' gene and (2) the mutant phenotype is specific. In this review, by defining housekeeping genes as those encoding proteins that work in basic metabolic and cellular functions, we discuss unexpected links between housekeeping genes and specific developmental processes. In a surprising number of cases housekeeping genes coding for enzymes or proteins with functions in basic cellular processes such as transcription, post-transcriptional modification, and translation affect plant development.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan. jpreic@biol.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsukaya
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.forename: Gorou
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Horiguchi
authors.forename: Munetaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.forename: Mieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Lijsebettens
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lenhard
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020043:Genes, Essential; D017343:Genes, Plant; D009154:Mutation; D038081:Organogenesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018514:Plant Structures / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins