442 / 2019-02-13 07:06:29

Identification of the gene regulatory networks that connect and integrate shoot meristem development with abiotic stress responses

meristem development,stress response,gene regulatory networks,brassica

全体主题 > Systems Biology

Abiotic stresses affect organ growth throughout development by inhibiting both cell expansion and division and the rate of organ initiation at the shoot apical meristem. Studying how stress affects meristem maintenance and organ differentiation provides an excellent opportunity to probe important questions relating to normal plant growth while simultaneously contributing to a critical agricultural problem.

The Arabidopsis homeobox gene SHOOTMERISTEMLESS (STM) is essential for formation of the shoot apical meristem and sustained activity. However, it is very little known about its role in proliferative activities of the meristems and the coordination between cell division and differentiation are maintained under environmental stress conditions. Indeed, by analyzing the downstream targets of STM, we have discovered a number of stress assoicated genes that are induced by different type of abiotic and biotic stresses. We use the term stress associated gene to refer to genes with at least one of the following attributes: genes whose mRNAs increase in abundance following imposition of a stress such as heat, drought, salt and genes in which mutations alter the plant’s stress response. Identification of those abiotic induced genes and their gene networks could help us understand the regulatory mechanisms that connect and integrate intrinsic developmental processes with extrinsic environmental signals during meristem and lateral organ development in plants.