Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 23, 2025
06:46
Confocal Live Imaging of Shoot Apical Meristems from Different Plant Species
Published on: March 29, 2019
12.4K
Interplay between the shoot apical meristem and lateral organs.
Chunmei Guan1, Yuling Jiao1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101 China.
Abiotech
|October 28, 2022
Summary
The shoot apical meristem (SAM) coordinates plant development by interacting with lateral organs. Polar auxin transport is a key mechanism regulating this interaction and ensuring proper organ formation and growth.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Developmental biology
- Meristem research
Background:
- Plant tissues and organs require coordination for development, but mechanisms remain unclear.
- The shoot apical meristem (SAM) generates lateral organs, influencing their positioning (phyllotaxis) and development.
- Interactions between the SAM and lateral organs are crucial for plant growth and homeostasis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent findings on the coordination between the SAM and lateral organs.
- To elucidate the mechanisms underlying SAM-lateral organ interactions during plant development.
- To highlight the role of polar auxin transport in this coordination.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent advances in shoot apex development.
- Analysis of studies on SAM-lateral organ interactions.
- Focus on molecular and cellular mechanisms, particularly auxin transport.
Main Results:
- The SAM influences lateral organ positioning and morphogenesis, including leaf polarity and blade formation.
- Lateral organs contribute to SAM homeostasis by regulating stem cell activity.
- Polar auxin transport is identified as a common mechanism coordinating SAM and lateral organ patterning and growth.
Conclusions:
- The interaction between the SAM and lateral organs is a dynamic process essential for plant development.
- Understanding these interactions provides insights into organogenesis and plant architecture.
- Polar auxin transport is a critical regulator of coordinated growth in the shoot apex.
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