Přehled o publikaci

Proliferation of meristems defines both the final shape of body and longevity of plant. When meristems proliferation ceases, plant stops its growth and eventually dies. In many plant species, including annual crops such as rapeseed, rice, maize, as well as in model Arabidopsis thaliana, inflorescence meristem (IM) activity and, hence, plant longevity are coupled with reproduction. Once plant produces a predetermined number of seeds, it inhibits activity of all IMs and stops forming new flowers. This phenomenon is termed global proliferative arrest (GPA) and indicates existence of a systemic signalling mechanism that measures number of produced seeds and communicates it to meristems. GPA has important implications for crop yield, but little is known about its molecular underpinning. We attempt to dissect this process by quantitative imaging of inflorescence meristem at different stages of plant development using a unique technology that enables 3D reconstitution of meristems from light sheet microscopy data. We focus on changes in hormonal signalling and proliferative activity in IM during its progression towards GPA and propose a model for meristem arrest.