Table Of ContentMorphogenesis in Plants
Molecular Approaches
NATO ASI Series
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Series A: Ufe Sciences
Morphogenesis in Plants
Molecular Approaches
Edited by
Kalliopi A. Roubelakis-Angelakis
University of Crete
Heraklion, Greece
and
Kiem Tran Thanh Van
CNRS
Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
Proceedings of a NATO Advanced Study Institute on
Plant Morphogenesis: Molecular Approaches,
held September 5-17, 1992,
in Crete, Greece
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Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Morphogenesis in plants: molecular approaches / edited by Kalliopi A. Roubelakis-Angelakis and
Kiem Tran Thanh Van.
p. cm.—(NATO ASI series. A, Life sciences; vol. 253)
"Proceedings of a NATO Advanced Study Institute on Plant Morphogenesis: Molecular Ap
proaches, held September 5-17, 1992, in Crete, Greece"—T.p. verso.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4899-1267-1
1. Plant morphogenesis—Congresses. 2. Plant molecular biology—Congresses. I. Roubelakis-
Angelakis, Kalliopi A. (Kalliopi Apostólos) II. Tran Thanh Van, Kiem. III. NATO Advanced Study
Institute on Plant Morphogenesis: Molecular Approaches (1992: Crete, Greece) IV. Series: NATO
ASI series. Series A, Life sciences; v. 253.
OK665.M68 1993 93-20954
581.3'32—dc20 CIP
ISBN 978-1-4899-1267-1 ISBN 978-1-4899-1265-7 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4899-1265-7
© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media New York
Originally published by Plenum Press, New York in 1993
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1993
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or
otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher
PROLEGOMENA
Regeneration of plants from various types and sizes of explants has a history of almost
a century. Also, plant regeneration from plant cells devoid of cell wall, the protoplasts, was
firstly achieved in 1971. However, the success so far has been mostly based on trial and error
efforts without studying much in depth the physiological, biochemical and molecular
factor(s) and mechanism(s) which control at the molecular, cellular and explant level the
morphogenic behaviour of protoplasts and plant explants.
The regeneration process includes two events which are of central importance for all
living systems, including plants: cell division and morphogenesis. Not all plant species or
even genotypes within each species show the same cell proliferating potential and morpho
genic expression, at cell, callus and explant level, under identical culture conditions. Despite
the painstaking long experimentation efforts, some of the most important plant genera for the
mankind including most cereals, legumes and woody species, still show recalcitrance, that is
the inability to express regenerating potential, either as cell division in vitro or as morpho
genic response.
The application of molecular biology techniques in plants has significantly contributed
in understanding physiological and biochemical functions at the gene level. The use of these
techniques for elucidating the basic mechanism(s) of the processes involved in plant cell
division and morphogenesis may eventually help to overcome the problem of recalcitrance.
Consequently, the application of plant tissue culture and genetic engineering techniques may
lead to the production of modified transgenic plants displaying new useful traits even in the
case of recalcitrant species. Within this context, attention has been paid by the contributing
authors on current status of knowledge concerning the physiological, biochemical and
molecular events underlying plant morphogenesis processes.
The comprehensive reviews which are included in this volume were authored by the
main lecturers of a NATO-Advanced Study Institute which was held in Heraklion, Crete from
5 to 17 of September 1992. The information in these reviews is directed at advanced students
and professionals in the plant sciences: physiologists, biochemists, molecular biologists or
those in horticultural, agricultural and forestry sciences. It is also intended that the book
should serve as a text and guide to the literature for graduate level courses in Plant Morpho
genesis or Plant Molecular Biology.
We would like to cordially thank the Scientific Affairs Division of NATO and espe
cially Dr. L. da Cunha for having approved this ASI-Seminar and partially fmancing its im
plementation. Assistance of Ms. N. Clark and Mr. G. Safford, on behalf of the publishers, is
gratefully acknowledged. We are also thankful to Ms. K. Efthimiopoulos for correcting the
English. The production of the final copy was accomplished from author-submitted computer
v
vi MORPHOGENESIS IN PlANTS
discs by Mrs D. Daskalou and P. Vlahou at the Crete University Press, whose efforts are
gratefully acknowledged. Last but not least, we would like to thank Ms. S. Toufexis for her
tireless assistance during the preparation of this volume.
Kalliopi A. Roubelakis-Angelakis and
Kiem Tran Thanh Van
HerakJion, Greece
April 1993
CONTENTS
Morphogenic Signals and Markers in vitro and in vivo. 1
D.Osborne
In vitro Organogenesis and Somatic Embryogenesis:
Physiological and Biochemical Aspects. 19
T.A.Thorpe
Relation between Some Cytological, Biochemical, Molecular
Markers and Plant Morphogenesis. 39
K. Tran Thanh Van and C.A. Gendy
What Is the Significance of the Relatively Large
Tubulin Multigene Families for Plant Morphogenesis? 55
D.E. Fosket, H. Tonoike, I-S. Han, and A. Col6n
Polyarnines and Morphogenesis in Normal
and Transgenic Plant Cultures. 89
N. Bagni, M.M. Altamura, S. Biondi, M. Mengoli, and P. Torrigiani
Polyarnines and Morphogenesis in Monocots: Experimental
Systems and Mechanisms of Action. 113
A.F. Tiburcio, J.L Campos, X. Figueras, M. Marc~ T. Capell,
R. Riera, and R. T. Besford
The Molecular Basis of Cell Cycle Control in Arabidopsis thaliana. 137
D. Inz~ , P. Ferreira, A. Hemerly, G. Segers, L. De Veylder, J. Engler,
G. Engler, and M.Van Montagu
Developmental and Abscisic Acid Regulation of Gene
Expression during Embryogenesis. 145
P. Hatzopoulos
Molecular Studies of Shoot Meristem Activity during the
Vegetative -to-Floral Transition. 161
A.J. Kelly and D.R. Meeks-Wagner
vii
viii MORPHOGENESIS IN PLANTS
Secreted Proteins in Plant Cell Cultures. 181
F.A. Van Engelen and S.C. De Vries
An Assessment of Possible Factors Contributing
to Recalcitrance of Plant Protoplasts. 201
K.A. Roubelakis-Angelakis
Gene Expression in Mesophyll Protoplasts. 221
Y. Meyer, Y Chartier, J. Grosset, L Marty, C. Brugidou,
P. Marinho, and R. Rivera
Antisense RNA in Plants: A Tool for Analysis and Suppression
of Gene Function. 237
M. Tabler
Phytoactive Polymers: New Synthetic Plant Growth Regulators. 259
A.M. Tsatsakis and M.I. Shtilman
Author Index 277
Subject Index 279
MORPHOGENIC SIGNALS AND MARKERS
IN VITRO AND IN VIVO
Daphne J. Osborne
Oxford Research Unit
Open University
Foxcombe Hall
Boars Hill, Oxford OXl 5HR, UNITED KINGDOM
INTRODUCTION
To the best of our current knowledge, every living plant cell contains all the genetic
information for programming a whole mature and reproductive adult individual. This implies
that at no time during growth and development is this information lost or added to. Assuming
this is so, then the basic question of morphogenesis concerns the nature and regulation of the
expression of this information and the means by which it is directed to the development of an
organized form and behaviour. Morphogenesis is thus the succession by which the genetic
dictionary of the plant is revealed in an ordered sequence of differentiation and develop
mental events, all of which are constrained within a format that is the specific dictate of the
species.
The assumption that genetic information is neither lost nor generated is of special
importance to plants. For, in contrast to animals in which the special cells destined for
reproduction are set aside early in development into specialized tissues distinct from somatic
cells, in plants, the formation of reproductive cells represents a final expression of maturity in
the cell lineages of what can be long-term somatic vegetative meristems.
The discussions in this review relate to the ways that plant cells retain total heritable in
formation, but not withstallding, still develop ordered and potentially hierarchical states of
complexity in tissue, organ and whole plant organization, so permitting the many and varied
examples of morphogenic diversity. In particular, the pathways of information exchange and
communication and the signals that may operate between cells, tissues and organs will be
considered in relation to physical cues and morphogenesis directing molecules.
First, questions of organization in cells and tisssues will be addressed, to be followed by
an appraisal of the relevance to whole plant systems. In reference to the role of hormones in
genetic expression, emphasis will be laid upon a regulatory duet orchestrated by auxin and
ethylene.
