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SUMMARY:CLE genes are evolutionarily ancient regulators of stem cell maint
 enance in land plants - Chris White
DTSTART:20130523T150000Z
DTEND:20130523T153000Z
UID:TALK44273@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Megan Cooper
DESCRIPTION:Plant form is the outcome of the tightly regulated division of
  stem cells within meristems. In flowering plants the CLE gene CLV3 is a k
 ey player in this regulation and limits meristem size by restricting stem 
 cell identity to the central meristematic zone. However\, although all lan
 d plants grow from meristems it is not known if CLE genes also control ste
 m cell number in early diverging land plant lineages. I am using the moss 
 Physcomitrella patens to investigate the function of CLEs in one such plan
 t. P. patens has a single stem cell at the tip of each organ and loss of C
 LE function causes defects in the apical stem cell division plane. This le
 ads to larger meristems and an increased number of leaf tips. Localised ex
 pression of CLE is necessary to maintain wild type stem cell function\, wh
 ich suggests a conserved role for CLE in regulating the stem cell niche. T
 his is the first evidence that the same genetic components regulate stem c
 ell formation in land plants separated by 450 million years of evolution a
 nd is particularly interesting as it suggests that the genetic control of 
 plant stem cell identity may be universal.
LOCATION:Biffen Lecture Theater\, Department of Genetics
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