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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 8, 2026

Live Cell Imaging of Microtubule Cytoskeleton and Micromechanical Manipulation of the Arabidopsis Shoot Apical Meristem

Live Cell Imaging of Microtubule Cytoskeleton and Micromechanical Manipulation of the Arabidopsis Shoot Apical Meristem

Published on: May 23, 2020

Vegetative phase change and shoot maturation in plants.

R Scott Poethig¹

¹Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. spoethig@sas.upenn.edu

Current Topics in Developmental Biology

|August 22, 2013

Summary

Plant vegetative phase change, a key developmental process, is regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs) and transcription factors. Sugars may act as a signal to promote this transition, influencing leaf development and reproductive maturation.

Keywords:

Flowering time Heteroblasty Heterochrony Phase change SBP SPL Shoot morphogenesis miR156 miR172

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Area of Science:

Plant biology
Developmental biology
Molecular genetics

Background:

Plant shoot development involves distinct phases of vegetative growth and eventual transition to reproductive structures.
Vegetative phase change is a critical developmental process regulated by intricate molecular networks.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs), specifically miR156 and miR157, play a crucial role by targeting SBP/SPL transcription factors.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the regulatory mechanisms underlying vegetative phase change in plants.
To investigate the role of miR156/157 and SBP/SPL transcription factors in shoot development.
To explore the potential signaling role of carbohydrates in promoting vegetative phase change.

Main Methods:

Genetic analyses of regulatory networks.
Transcriptional and posttranscriptional profiling.
Molecular studies on miRNA and transcription factor interactions.

Main Results:

A decrease in miR156 and miR157 expression is essential for vegetative phase change.
SBP/SPL transcription factors, repressed by these miRNAs, are key regulators of shoot maturation.
Evidence suggests that sugars act as a signaling molecule to promote vegetative phase change.

Conclusions:

The miR156/157-SBP/SPL regulatory module is central to plant vegetative phase change.
Carbohydrate signaling is implicated as a novel mechanism influencing developmental transitions in plants.
Understanding these pathways provides insights into the coordination of vegetative and reproductive development.