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Meristem and Stem Cell Regulation in Plants
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Meristem and Stem Cell Regulation in Plants

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2020) | Viewed by 29147

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Simcha Lev-Yadun

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Guest Editor
Department of Biology and Environment, The University of Haifa-Oranim, Tivon 36006, Israel
Interests: the beginning of agriculture and plant domestication; the ecology and evolution of defensive coloration in plants; developmental processes and meristematic activity; Arabidopsis thaliana as a model for tree biology; biology and ecology of trees; paleoecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Gideon Grafi

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Guest Editor
Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheba, Israel
Interests: dedifferentiation; stem cells; epigenetics; stress response; seed biology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The stem cell niche in plants is called a meristem, an organ composed of several distinct regions. In the shoot apical meristem (SAM) of dicots, including the model plant Arabidopsis, three distinct regions can be identified, including the central zone (that contains genuine stem cells), the peripheral zone, and the rib meristem. An elaborated interplay between these regions is central to the functionality of the meristem. Two major apical meristems, that of the root and that of the shoot, are responsible for the formation of the bulk of the above and below ground plant body. Besides primary apical meristems, plants possess secondary meristems, including intercalary meristems (most common in grasses), which are located at the internodes or the base of the leaves, and lateral meristems, such as the cambium and the phellogen that build secondary plant tissues. Meristems are thus the most important organs that drive plant growth and development. They determine the number and fate of cells, the structure and fate of tissues, the shape and type of organs, the phases of plant vegetative and sexual reproduction, and general plant architecture. Doing it in an organized, efficient, and reliable way is an extremely complicated function, crucial to the fitness of a sessile organism such as a plant.

The applications of genetic and various molecular approaches to study plant meristems have uncovered some of the molecular mechanisms underlying meristem establishment and maintenance. In this Special Issue, we wish to highlight these mechanisms and the bearing environmental signals might have on the structure and function of the meristem.

We invite papers addressing various molecular aspects of meristem (apical, intercalary, or lateral) organization, establishment, and maintenance with a focus on the effects of internal and environmental signals. We encourage papers addressing the genetics of plant meristems, the role of plant hormones in meristem structure and function, how stress shapes the meristem, and how epigenetics regulate meristem organization and function.

Prof. Dr. Simcha Lev-Yadun
Prof. Dr. Gideon Grafi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Apical meristems
  • Lateral meristems (e.g., Cambium)
  • Intercalary meristems
  • Differentiation
  • Pattern formation
  • Stem cells
  • Stress responses
  • Plant hormones
  • Epigenetics

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 6794 KiB  
Article
The Major Factors Causing the Microspore Abortion of Genic Male Sterile Mutant NWMS1 in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
by Junchang Li, Jing Zhang, Huijuan Li, Hao Niu, Qiaoqiao Xu, Zhixin Jiao, Junhang An, Yumei Jiang, Qiaoyun Li and Jishan Niu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(24), 6252; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20246252 - 11 Dec 2019
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3940
Abstract
Male sterility is a valuable trait for genetic research and production application of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). NWMS1, a novel typical genic male sterility mutant, was obtained from Shengnong 1, mutagenized with ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS). Microstructure and ultrastructure observations of [...] Read more.
Male sterility is a valuable trait for genetic research and production application of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). NWMS1, a novel typical genic male sterility mutant, was obtained from Shengnong 1, mutagenized with ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS). Microstructure and ultrastructure observations of the anthers and microspores indicated that the pollen abortion of NWMS1 started at the early uninucleate microspore stage. Pollen grain collapse, plasmolysis, and absent starch grains were the three typical characteristics of the abnormal microspores. The anther transcriptomes of NWMS1 and its wild type Shengnong 1 were compared at the early anther development stage, pollen mother cell meiotic stage, and binucleate microspore stage. Several biological pathways clearly involved in abnormal anther development were identified, including protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, starch and sucrose metabolism, lipid metabolism, and plant hormone signal transduction. There were 20 key genes involved in the abnormal anther development, screened out by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), including SKP1B, BIP5, KCS11, ADH3, BGLU6, and TIFY10B. The results indicated that the defect in starch and sucrose metabolism was the most important factor causing male sterility in NWMS1. Based on the experimental data, a primary molecular regulation model of abnormal anther and pollen developments in mutant NWMS1 was established. These results laid a solid foundation for further research on the molecular mechanism of wheat male sterility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Meristem and Stem Cell Regulation in Plants)
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21 pages, 9897 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Senescence Process is the Major Factor Stopping Spike Differentiation of Wheat Mutant ptsd1
by Zhixin Jiao, Junchang Li, Yongjing Ni, Yumei Jiang, Yulong Sun, Junhang An, Huijuan Li, Jing Zhang, Xin Hu, Qiaoyun Li and Jishan Niu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(18), 4642; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20184642 - 19 Sep 2019
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3537
Abstract
Complete differentiation of the spikes guarantees the final wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield. A unique wheat mutant that prematurely terminated spike differentiation (ptsd1) was obtained from cultivar Guomai 301 treated with ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS). The molecular mechanism study [...] Read more.
Complete differentiation of the spikes guarantees the final wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield. A unique wheat mutant that prematurely terminated spike differentiation (ptsd1) was obtained from cultivar Guomai 301 treated with ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS). The molecular mechanism study on ptsd1 showed that the senescence-associated genes (SAGs) were highly expressed, and spike differentiation related homeotic genes were depressed. Cytokinin signal transduction was weakened and ethylene signal transduction was enhanced. The enhanced expression of Ca2+ signal transduction related genes and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) caused the upper spikelet cell death. Many genes in the WRKY, NAC and ethylene response factor (ERF) transcription factor (TF) families were highly expressed. Senescence related metabolisms, including macromolecule degradation, nutrient recycling, as well as anthocyanin and lignin biosynthesis, were activated. A conserved tae-miR164 and a novel-miR49 and their target genes were extensively involved in the senescence related biological processes in ptsd1. Overall, the abnormal phytohormone homeostasis, enhanced Ca2+ signaling and activated senescence related metabolisms led to the spikelet primordia absent their typical meristem characteristics, and ultimately resulted in the phenotype of ptsd1. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Meristem and Stem Cell Regulation in Plants)
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Review

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15 pages, 1145 KiB  
Review
Regulation of Shoot Apical Meristem and Axillary Meristem Development in Plants
by Zhihui Xue, Liya Liu and Cui Zhang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(8), 2917; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21082917 - 21 Apr 2020
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 12284
Abstract
Plants retain the ability to produce new organs throughout their life cycles. Continuous aboveground organogenesis is achieved by meristems, which are mainly organized, established, and maintained in the shoot apex and leaf axils. This paper will focus on reviewing the recent progress in [...] Read more.
Plants retain the ability to produce new organs throughout their life cycles. Continuous aboveground organogenesis is achieved by meristems, which are mainly organized, established, and maintained in the shoot apex and leaf axils. This paper will focus on reviewing the recent progress in understanding the regulation of shoot apical meristem and axillary meristem development. We discuss the genetics of plant meristems, the role of plant hormones and environmental factors in meristem development, and the impact of epigenetic factors on meristem organization and function. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Meristem and Stem Cell Regulation in Plants)
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12 pages, 1028 KiB  
Review
The Important Function of Mediator Complex in Controlling the Developmental Transitions in Plants
by Lingjie Zhang and Changkui Guo
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(8), 2733; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21082733 - 15 Apr 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4481
Abstract
Developmental transitions in plants are tightly associated with changes in the transcriptional regulation of gene expression. One of the most important regulations is conferred by cofactors of RNA polymerase II including the mediator complex, a large complex with a modular organization. The mediator [...] Read more.
Developmental transitions in plants are tightly associated with changes in the transcriptional regulation of gene expression. One of the most important regulations is conferred by cofactors of RNA polymerase II including the mediator complex, a large complex with a modular organization. The mediator complex recruits transcription factors to bind to the specific sites of genes including protein-coding genes and non-coding RNA genes to promote or repress the transcription initiation and elongation using a protein-protein interaction module. Mediator complex subunits have been isolated and identified in plants and the function of most mediator subunits in whole life cycle plants have been revealed. Studies have shown that the Mediator complex is indispensable for the regulation of plant developmental transitions by recruiting age-, flowering-, or hormone-related transcription factors. Here, we first overviewed the Mediator subunits in plants, and then we summarized the specific Mediator subunits involved in developmental transitions, including vegetative phase change and floral transition. Finally, we proposed the future directions to further explore their roles in plants. The link between Mediator subunits and developmental transitions implies the necessity to explore targets of this complex as a potential application in developing high quality crop varieties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Meristem and Stem Cell Regulation in Plants)
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14 pages, 284 KiB  
Review
Activities of Chromatin Remodeling Factors and Histone Chaperones and Their Effects in Root Apical Meristem Development
by Huijia Kang, Di Wu, Tianyi Fan and Yan Zhu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(3), 771; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21030771 - 24 Jan 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3338
Abstract
Eukaryotic genes are packaged into dynamic but stable chromatin structures to deal with transcriptional reprogramming and inheritance during development. Chromatin remodeling factors and histone chaperones are epigenetic factors that target nucleosomes and/or histones to establish and maintain proper chromatin structures during critical physiological [...] Read more.
Eukaryotic genes are packaged into dynamic but stable chromatin structures to deal with transcriptional reprogramming and inheritance during development. Chromatin remodeling factors and histone chaperones are epigenetic factors that target nucleosomes and/or histones to establish and maintain proper chromatin structures during critical physiological processes such as DNA replication and transcriptional modulation. Root apical meristems are vital for plant root development. Regarding the well-characterized transcription factors involved in stem cell proliferation and differentiation, there is increasing evidence of the functional implications of epigenetic regulation in root apical meristem development. In this review, we focus on the activities of chromatin remodeling factors and histone chaperones in the root apical meristems of the model plant species Arabidopsis and rice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Meristem and Stem Cell Regulation in Plants)
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