Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Cell fate in the Arabidopsis root meristem determined by directional signalling

Abstract

POSTEMBRYONIC development in plants is achieved by apical meristems. Surgical studies and clonal analysis have revealed indirectly that cells in shoot meristems have no predictable destiny1–3 and that position is likely to play a role in the acquisition of cell identity4–7. In contrast to animal systems8–10, there has been no direct evidence for inductive signalling in plants until now. Here we present evidence for such signalling using laser ablation of cells in the root meristem of Arabidopsis thaliana. Although these cells show rigid clonal relationships11, we now demonstrate that it is positional control that is most important in the determination of cell fate. Positional signals can be perpetuated from more mature to initial cells to guide the pattern of meristem cell differentiation. This offers an alternative to the general opinion that meristems are the source of patterning information12.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Pilkington, M. New Phytol. 28, 37–53 (1929).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. McDaniel, C. N. & Poethig, R. S. Planta 175, 13–22 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Jegla, D. E. & Sussex, I. M. Devl Biol. 131, 215–225 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Wardlaw, C. W. Phil. Trans. Soc. London B 234, 583–604 (1950).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Stewart, R. N. & Dermen, H. Am. J. Bot. 57, 816–826 (1975).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Steeves, T. A. & Sussex, I M. in Patterns of Plant Development 2nd edn 86–99 (Cambridge Univ. Press, New York, 1989).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Dawe, R. K. & Freeling, M. Plant J. 1, 3–8 (1991).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Spemann, H. & Mangold, H. Roux's Arch. dev. Biol. 100, 599–638 (1924).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Greenwald, I. & Rubin, G. M. Cell 68, 271–281 (1992).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Jessell, T. M. & Melton, D. A. Cell 68, 257–270 (1992).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Scheres, B. et al. Development 120, 2475–2487 (1994).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Alberts, B. et al. in Molecular Biology of the Cell 3rd edn 1108–1113 (Garland, New York, 1994).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Dolan, L. et al. Development 119, 71–84 (1993).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Barlow, P. New Phy. 73, 937–954 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Feldman, L. J. & Torrey, J. G. Am. J. Bot. 63, 345–355 (1976).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Sussex, I. M. Cell 56, 225–229 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Schiavone, F. M. & Racusen, R. H. Development 113, 1305–1313 (1991).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Poethig, R. S. Am. J. Bot. 74, 581–594 (1987).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Sulston, J. E. & White, J. G. Devl Biol. 78, 577–597 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Kimble, J. Devl Biol. 87, 286–300 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Haesman, J., Wylie, C. C., Hausen, P. & Smith, J. C. Cell 37, 185–194 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Benfey, P. N. et al. Development 119, 57–70 (1993).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Scheres, B. et al. Development 121, 53–62 (1995).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Berger, F., Taylor, A. & Brownlee, C. Science 263, 1421–1423 (1994).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Duckett, C. M., Oparka, K. J., Prior, D. A. M., Dolan, L., & Roberts, K. Development 120, 3247–3255 (1994).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Goddijn, O. J. M., Lindsey, K., van der Lee, F. M., Klap, J. C. & Sijmons, P. C. Plant J. 4, 863–873 (1993).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Benfey, P. N., Ren, L. & Chua, N.-H. EMBO J. 9, 1685–1696 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

van den Berg, C., Willemsen, V., Hage, W. et al. Cell fate in the Arabidopsis root meristem determined by directional signalling. Nature 378, 62–65 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/378062a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/378062a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing