The CRK14 gene encoding a cysteine-rich receptor-like kinase is implicated in the regulation of global proliferative arrest in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Global proliferative arrest (GPA) is a phenomenon in monocarpic plants in which the activity of all aboveground meristems generally ceases in a nearly coordinated manner after the formation of a certain number of fruits. Despite the fact that GPA is a biologically and agriculturally important event, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, we attempted to elucidate the molecular mechanism of GPA regulation by identifying the gene responsible for the Arabidopsis mutant fireworks (fiw), causing an early GPA phenotype.

Enhancement of meristem formation by bouquet-1, a mis-sense allele of the vernalization independence 3 gene encoding a WD40 repeat protein in Arabidopsis thaliana.

In higher plants, the shoot apical meristem (SAM) is the ultimate source supplying cells that constitute the aboveground tissues and organs. The cells supplied from the SAM begin to proliferate rapidly and then concomitantly start to differentiate. We identified a novel mutant, named bouquet-1 (boq-1), exhibiting highly pleiotropic shoot growth phenotypes.

The Arabidopsis MERISTEM DISORGANIZATION 1 gene is required for the maintenance of stem cells through the reduction of DNA damage.

In plants, stem cells reside in apical meristems, and provide the descendants required for post-embryonic growth and development throughout the life of a plant. To identify a novel factor required for the maintenance of stem cells, we isolated an Arabidopsis mutant, named meristem disorganization 1-1 (mdo1-1), that exhibits several developmental defects, such as abnormal phyllotaxy and plastochron, stem fasciation and retarded root growth. We found that the mutant plants fail to maintain stem cells, resulting in the differentiation or death of stem cells.

RNA interference of the Arabidopsis putative transcription factor TCP16 gene results in abortion of early pollen development.

Pollen development is a fundamental and essential biological process in seed plants. Pollen mother cells generated in anthers undergo meiosis, which gives rise to haploid microspores. The haploid cells then develop into mature pollen grains through two mitotic cell divisions.

Cytokinin receptors are required for normal development of auxin-transporting vascular tissues in the hypocotyl but not in adventitious roots.

Plants alter the architecture of their root systems to adapt to the environment by modulating post-embryonic (lateral and adventitious) root formation and growth. To understand better the genetic basis of this regulation, we screened ethylmethane sulfonate-mutagenized lines of Arabidopsis thaliana for adventitious rooting mutants. One mutant showed retardation of the primary root growth, no production of lateral roots and enhanced formation of adventitious roots.

Histidine kinase homologs that act as cytokinin receptors possess overlapping functions in the regulation of shoot and root growth in Arabidopsis.

Cytokinins are plant hormones that may play essential and crucial roles in various aspects of plant growth and development. Although the functional significance of exogenous cytokinins as to the proliferation and differentiation of cells has been well documented, the biological roles of endogenous cytokinins have remained largely unknown. The recent discovery of the Arabidopsis Histidine Kinase 4 (AHK4)/CRE1/WOL cytokinin receptor in Arabidopsis thaliana strongly suggested that the cellular response to cytokinins involves a two-component signal transduction system.

The OsTB1 gene negatively regulates lateral branching in rice.

Although the shoot apical meristem (SAM) is ultimately responsible for post-embryonic development in higher plants, lateral meristems also play an important role in determining the final morphology of the above-ground part. Axillary buds developing at the axils of leaves produce additional shoot systems, lateral branches. The rice TB1 gene (OsTB1) was first identified based on its sequence similarity with maize TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1 (TB1), which is involved in lateral branching in maize.