Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting of Plant Protoplasts
Published on: February 18, 2010
Cell-cell signaling and movement by the floral transcription factors LEAFY and APETALA1
A Sessions1, M F Yanofsky, D Weigel
1Department of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
Abstract:
LEAFY (LFY) and APETALA1 (AP1) encode unrelated transcription factors that activate overlapping sets of homeotic genes in Arabidopsis flowers. Sector analysis and targeted expression in transgenic plants were used to study whether LFY and AP1 can participate in cell-cell signaling between and within different layers of the floral meristem. LFY signaled equally well from all layers and had substantial long-range action within layers. Nonautonomous action of LFY was accompanied by movement of the protein to adjacent cells, where it directly activated homeotic target genes. In contrast, AP1 had only limited nonautonomous effects, apparently mediated by downstream genes because activation of early target genes by AP1 was cell-autonomous.
Related Concept Videos
Cell Migration
Primary and Secondary Growth in Roots and Shoots
Morphogenesis
Cell Signaling in Plants
Cell Adhesion in Plants
Pectins are complex heteropolymers mainly composed of negatively-charged α-D-glucopyranosyl uronic acid and some neutral glycosyl residues such as α-L-rhamnopyranose, α-L-arabinofuranose, and...

