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Using an Automated Cell Counter to Simplify Gene Expression Studies: siRNA Knockdown of IL-4 Dependent Gene Expression in Namalwa Cells
Published on: April 14, 2010
Domain-specific expression of meristematic genes is defined by the LITTLE ZIPPER protein DTM in tomato
1National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Centre for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300 Fenglin Rd, 200032 Shanghai, China.
Abstract:
Shoot meristems, which harbor a small population of stem cells, are responsible for generating new above-ground organs in plants. The proliferation and differentiation of these stem cells is regulated by a genetic pathway involving two key meristematic genes: CLAVATA3 (CLV3) and WUSCHEL (WUS). However, it is not well understood how CLV3 and WUS expression domains in the shoot meristems are specified and maintained during post-embryogenic development. Here, we show that a tomato mutant with fasciated stems, flowers and fruits, due to impaired stem cell activity, is defective in a LITTLE ZIPPER gene denoted as DEFECTIVE TOMATO MERISTEM (DTM). DTM forms a negative feedback loop with class III homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-ZIP III) transcription factors to confine CLV3 and WUS expression to specific domains of the shoot meristems. Our findings reveal a new layer of complexity in the regulation of plant stem cell homeostasis.
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