Mechanisms of pattern formation in plant embryogenesis

Many of the patterning mechanisms in plants were discovered while studying postembryonic processes and resemble mechanisms operating during animal development. The emergent role of the plant hormone auxin, however, seems to represent a plant-specific solution to multicellular patterning. This review summarizes our knowledge on how diverse mechanisms that were first dissected at the postembryonic level are now beginning to provide an understanding of plant embryogenesis.