Intercellular trafficking of transcription factors in the vascular tissue patterning

Physiol Plant. 2014 Jun;151(2):184-91. doi: 10.1111/ppl.12140. Epub 2014 Jan 23.

Abstract

Throughout life cycles, plants grow in an indeterminate manner by adding new cells and organs with specialized functions. Newly emerging cells acquire their identities depending on their positions relative to the neighboring cells. Exchanging positional signals between cells is critical in this process. Recent studies showed that many transcription factors move between cells or between organs in forms of proteins and messenger RNA (mRNA). Some of these were found to be important positional signals for cell type patterning. Cell type patterning in the vascular system is no exception from this. In this review, we describe recent discoveries of mobile transcription factors that function as positional signals for vascular tissue patterning and propose how these transcription factors integrate with other forms of signals.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis / growth & development
  • Arabidopsis / physiology*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism
  • Cambium / genetics
  • Cambium / growth & development
  • Cambium / physiology
  • Cell Communication
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant*
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Plant Vascular Bundle / genetics
  • Plant Vascular Bundle / growth & development
  • Plant Vascular Bundle / physiology*
  • Protein Transport
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Plant / genetics
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Xylem / genetics
  • Xylem / growth & development
  • Xylem / physiology

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA, Plant
  • Transcription Factors