title: Small RNAs as positional signal for pattern formation.
abstract: Pattern formation in plant relies on intimate cell-cell communication exchanging positional information. While ligand-receptor interaction is commonly used by plants and animals as a means to transmit positional information, plant cells can directly exchange regulatory molecules such as transcription factors through a cytoplasmic continuum called the plasmodesmata. Recently endogenous small RNAs (sRNAs) of various biogenetic origins have been shown to function non-cell-autonomously. To date, non-cell-autonomous sRNAs have been shown to regulate leaf polarity, root vascular patterning, meristem formation in embryos, shoot meristem maintenance and female gametogenesis. All these developmental processes are fundamental to the life cycle and architecture of flowering plants, suggesting that sRNA-mediated cell-to-cell signaling has been adopted to achieve novel morphology in the course of plant evolution.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hisanaga
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan.
authors.forename: Shunsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyashima
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan; PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8, Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan. Electronic address: k-nakaji@bs.naist.jp.
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakajima
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000502:physiology; D063245:Plant Development / Q000502:physiology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000254:growth & development; D031425:Plasmodesmata / Q000502:physiology; D058727:RNA, Small Untranslated / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D058727:RNA, Small Untranslated