From genes to shape: understanding the control of morphogenesis at the shoot meristem in higher plants using systems biology.

The shoot apical meristem is a population of stem cells which controls the initiation of leaves, flowers and branches during the entire life of the plant. Although we have gained significant new insight in the nature of the genetic networks and cellular processes that control meristem function, major questions have remained unsolved. It has been difficult, for instance, to define the precise role of genetic determinants in controlling morphogenesis and the control of shape is currently a major and largely unresolved issue in plant biology. This is a difficult task, notably because it is close to impossible to predict the activity of a single gene, in a context where thousands of genes interact. Systems biology has emerged as a powerful tool to address this type of issue. Systems biology analyses processes such as plant development at different scales, describing not only the properties of individual cells but also their interactions. The complexity of the information involved is such, that it cannot be understood and integrated on a purely intuitive basis. For this reason, building on the acquisition of quantitative data, computer models have become more and more important. The first models have begun to reproduce gene network behaviours and dynamical shape changes, providing new insight in the control of morphogenesis.