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A Case for Distributed Control of Local Stem Cell Behavior in Plants
Ramin Rahni1, Idan Efroni2, Kenneth D Birnbaum1
1Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
Developmental Cell
|September 28, 2016
Summary
Plant root stem cells may be organized by passive mechanics, not just a central organizer. This "stagnation" model suggests self-renewal arises from opposing differentiation gradients, enabling rapid stem cell regeneration.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Developmental biology
- Cellular mechanics
Background:
- Current models propose a central organizer dictates root meristem stem cell activity.
- Emerging evidence suggests decentralized control mechanisms may be at play.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and describe a novel
- stagnation
- model for plant root stem cell organization based on passive mechanics and opposing differentiation gradients.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual modeling based on existing biological principles.
- Analysis of cell displacement and differentiation dynamics at tissue borders.
Main Results:
- Stem cell self-renewal can emerge from the lack of cell displacement at the interface of opposing differentiation gradients.
- This decentralized control relies on passive mechanical forces.
Conclusions:
- The
- stagnation
- model offers an alternative to the central organizer hypothesis for root meristem function.
- This framework suggests broad tissue organization programs facilitate rapid stem cell reconstitution from non-stem-cell tissues, similar to some animal systems.
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