HAM Gene Family and Shoot Meristem Development

Yuan Geng; Yun Zhou

doi:10.3389/fpls.2021.800332

HAM Gene Family and Shoot Meristem Development

Front Plant Sci. 2021 Dec 20:12:800332. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2021.800332. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Yuan Geng^{1

2}, Yun Zhou^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States.
² Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States.

Abstract

Land plants develop highly diversified shoot architectures, all of which are derived from the pluripotent stem cells in shoot apical meristems (SAMs). As sustainable resources for continuous organ formation in the aboveground tissues, SAMs play an important role in determining plant yield and biomass production. In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding one group of key regulators - the HAIRY MERISTEM (HAM) family GRAS domain proteins - in shoot meristems. We highlight the functions of HAM family members in dictating shoot stem cell initiation and proliferation, the signaling cascade that shapes HAM expression domains in shoot meristems, and the conservation and diversification of HAM family members in land plants. We also discuss future directions that potentially lead to a more comprehensive view of the HAM gene family and stem cell homeostasis in land plants.

Keywords: GRAS proteins; HAM; land plants; microRNAs; shoot meristems; stem cells.

Publication types

Review