title: Physical models of plant development.
abstract: The definition of shape in multicellular organisms is a major issue of developmental biology. It is well established that morphogenesis relies on genetic regulation. However, cells, tissues, and organism behaviors are also bound by the laws of physics, which limit the range of possible deformations organisms can undergo but also define what organisms must do to achieve specific shapes. Besides experiments, theoretical models and numerical simulations of growing tissues are powerful tools to investigate the link between genetic regulation and mechanics. Here, we provide an overview of the main mechanical models of plant morphogenesis developed so far, from subcellular scales to whole tissues. The common concepts and discrepancies between the various models are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Virtual Plants INRIA Team, UMR AGAP, 34398 Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mirabet
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Godin
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Traas
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000502:physiology; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D025461:Feedback, Physiological; D008954:Models, Biological; D063245:Plant Development / Q000502:physiology; D013269:Stochastic Processes
keywords: growth; mechanics; simulation