Single-nucleus RNA sequencing and mRNA hybridization indicate key bud events and LcFT1 and LcTFL1-2 mRNA transportability during floral transition in litchi
Ming-Chao YangZi-Chen WuRiyao ChenFarhat AbbasGuibing HuXu‐Ming HuangWei-Song GuanYi-Song XuHuicong Wang
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Abstract In flowering plants, floral induction signals intersect at the shoot apex to modulate meristem determinacy and growth form. Here, we report a single-nucleus RNA sequence analysis of litchi apical buds at different developmental stages. A total of 41 641 nuclei expressing 21 402 genes were analyzed, revealing 35 cell clusters corresponding to 12 broad populations. We identify genes associated with floral transition and propose a model that profiles the key events associated with litchi floral meristem identity by analyzing 567 identified floral meristem cells at single cell resolution. Interestingly, single-nucleus RNA-sequencing data indicated that all putative FT and TFL1 genes were not expressed in bud nuclei, but significant expression was detected in bud samples by RT–PCR. Based on the expression patterns and gene silencing results, we highlight the critical role of LcTFL1-2 in inhibiting flowering and propose that the LcFT1/LcTFL1-2 expression ratio may determine the success of floral transition. In addition, the transport of LcFT1 and LcTFL1-2 mRNA from the leaf to the shoot apical meristem is proposed based on in situ and dot-blot hybridization results. These findings allow a more comprehensive understanding of the molecular events during the litchi floral transition, as well as the identification of new regulators.The development of higher plants depends on the activity of a shoot apical meristem. Organs are formed on the flanks of the meristem, while pluripotent stem cells are found in a separate domain in the meristem centre. Further domains are distinguished by the expression patterns of genes that control the development of the shoot meristem. Although most plant cells are immobile, their relative position within a meristem, and therefore also their function, can change after cell divisions. To maintain an active shoot meristem throughout plant life, the cells in the meristem need constantly to assess their position, transmit this information to others, and readjust their gene expression profiles and their fate. Some of the genes that permit intercellular communication have been isolated. They enable the flow of information in and between meristem regions via ligands and receptor proteins to transcription factors, that ultimately control the fate of cells in the centre of the meristem. BioEssays 23:134–141, 2001. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Abstract Meristems refer to a group of undifferentiated dividing cells that are responsible for the formation of plant organs. Floral meristems are a group of dividing cells that give rise to flowers. The formation of a floral meristem and its subsequent fate are under both environmental and molecular control. Several exogenous environmental factors and a complex network of genes control this process. Key Concepts Meristems refer to a group of undifferentiated dividing cells that form diverse plant organs. Shoot and root apical meristems give raise to above‐ground and below‐ground plant organs. Shoot apical meristem produces leaves at its flanks in the vegetative state and flowers in the reproductive state. Floral meristems are a group of dividing cells that give rise to flowers. The formation of a floral meristem and its subsequent fate are under both environmental and molecular control. Several exogenous environmental factors and a complex network of genes control this process.
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George Chuck, Robert B. Meeley, and Sarah Hake Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA; Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Johnston, Iowa 50131, USA; Plant Gene Expression Center, US Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), Albany, California 94710, USA
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The stages leading up to the formation of a flower can be crudely summarized as the sequential conversion of a shoot apical meristem (an intermediate structure producing leaves) to an inflorescence meristem (an indeterminate structure producing cauline leaves and floral meristems) followed by the establishment and maintenance of floral meristems (determinate structures producing floral organs). This paper examines what is known about the processes involved in this conversion using Arabidopsis thaliana as model plant. It focuses on the genes promoting floral meristem identity, discussing their functions in pathways involved in the control of flowering and inflorescence architecture.
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In contrast to animals, plants do not stop to initiate organs with the end of embryogenesis. Instead, most of the growth and development of higher plants will take place during later phases following germination of the seed. Plant development depends on the activity of two meristems, the root meristem and the shoot apical meristem (SAM), that are located at opposite ends of the plant embryo. These meristems serve as a source of pluripotent stem cells and, in case of the SAM, provide a centre for repetitive organ initiation. In order to maintain the SAM throughout plant life, the cells that are lost from the meristem through organ initiation and differentiation have to be replaced from the stem cell population. In this paper, we will discuss recent results indicating that the fate of stem cells in plant meristems is controlled by directional signalling systems.
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Cell fate determination
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Abstract Leaf organogenesis is governed by the spatiotemporal activity of the leaf meristem, which has far greater mitotic activity than the shoot apical meristem. The two types of leaf meristems, the plate meristem and the marginal meristem, are distinguished by the location and longevity of their cell proliferative activity. Most leaf lamina outgrowth depends on the plate meristem. The presence of the marginal meristem was a matter of debate in classic anatomy, but recent genetic analyses of leaf growth in Arabidopsis thaliana confirmed its short-lived activity. Several genes key for the regulation of the two meristem types have been identified, and at least superficially, the systems appear to function independently, as they are regulated by different transcription factors and microRNAs. However, many of the details of these regulatory systems, including how the expression of these key factors is spatially regulated, remain unclear. One major unsolved question is the relationship between the plate meristem and the marginal meristem. Here, I present an overview of our current understanding of this topic and discuss questions that remain to be answered.
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Significance Developmental transitions during shoot development in plants are regulated by factors originating outside and within the shoot apical meristem (SAM). The best-known example of this is the vegetative-to-reproductive transition, which is initiated by a leaf-derived signal that transforms the vegetative SAM into a developmentally stable inflorescence meristem. Although the juvenile-to-adult vegetative transition (vegetative phase change) is also thought to be regulated by factors exogenous and internal to the SAM, how this process is coordinated spatially remains unknown. Here we demonstrate that the SAM specifies leaf identity early in development, but that leaves become more important determinants of shoot identity as the shoot ages. We also reveal a role for the plant aging pathway in the regulation of meristem size.
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Vegetative reproduction
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