Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026
12:01
Long-term, High-resolution Confocal Time Lapse Imaging of Arabidopsis Cotyledon Epidermis during Germination
Published on: December 31, 2012
Reproductive meristem fates in Gerbera
Teemu H Teeri1, Anne Uimari, Mika Kotilainen
1Gerbera Laboratory, Department of Applied Biology, PO Box 27, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. teemu.teeri@helsinki.fi
Journal of Experimental Botany
|October 7, 2006
Summary
Flowering plants can switch developmental fates. A single SEPALLATA-like MADS domain factor controls both flower and inflorescence meristem fate in Gerbera hybrida, suggesting a general role in plant reproduction.
Area of Science:
- Plant developmental biology
- Floral organogenesis
- Meristem identity determination
Background:
- Flowering plants transition through distinct developmental phases from vegetative growth to floral production.
- Meristem identity is typically unidirectional but can revert under specific conditions.
- Vegetative meristems are indeterminate, while floral meristems are determinate, ceasing growth after organ initiation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate flower and inflorescence development in Gerbera hybrida, an Asteraceae species.
- To explore the spatial and genetic distinctness of floral meristem determinacy and identity.
- To identify genetic factors controlling meristem fate in Gerbera.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of floral and inflorescence development in Gerbera hybrida.
- Genetic analysis focusing on MADS domain factors.
- Exploitation of Gerbera's unique floral architecture (inferior ovaries) to dissect meristem function.
Main Results:
- Gerbera hybrida exhibits distinct spatial and genetic control over floral meristem determinacy and identity.
- A single SEPALLATA-like MADS domain factor was identified as a key regulator of both flower and inflorescence meristem fate.
- This finding suggests a conserved role for SEPALLATA-like factors in reproductive meristem development across flowering plants.
Conclusions:
- The study elucidates the genetic control of meristem fate in Gerbera, highlighting the integrative role of a SEPALLATA-like MADS domain factor.
- Findings in Gerbera provide insights into the general mechanisms governing reproductive meristem development in flowering plants.
- The research contributes to understanding the evolution of floral development and meristem plasticity.
Related Concept Videos
03:24Seedless Vascular Plants
Seedless Vascular Plants Were the First Tall Plants on Earth
02:36Meristems and Plant Growth
Plants grow throughout their lives; this is called indeterminate growth, and it distinguishes plants from most animals. Although certain parts of plants stop growing (e.g., leaves and flowers), others grow continuously—like roots and stems.
03:02Primary and Secondary Growth in Roots and Shoots
Vascular plants, which account for over 90% of the Earth’s vegetation, all undergo primary growth—which lengthens roots and shoots. Many land plants, notably woody plants, also undergo secondary growth—which thickens roots and shoots.
02:19Morphogenesis
Plant morphogenesis—the development of a plant’s form and structure—involves several overlapping developmental processes, including growth and cell differentiation. Precursor cells differentiate into specific cell types, which are organized into the tissues and organ systems that make up the functional plant.
02:38Asexual Reproduction
Asexual reproduction allows plants to reproduce without growing flowers, attracting pollinators, or dispersing seeds. Offspring are genetically identical to the parent and produced without the fusion of male and female gametes.
01:06Multipotency and Niche of Bulge Stem Cell
A hair follicle or HF is a small part of the skin that produces the hair shaft. Paul Gerson Unna was the first to observe a bulge in the human hair follicle's outer root sheath (ORS). The bulge is present between the sebaceous gland and the arrector pili muscle and is the niche for hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs). The bulge is also a niche for melanocyte stem cells, and their loss results in graying of hair. The HFSCs express Sox9 and Lhx2, which help them maintain stemness and prevent...