Regulation of apical shoot meristem maintenance in arabidopsis thaliana by the newly identified gene FLAT SHOOT APEX (FSA).

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Meristems comprise a small number of morphologically undifferentiated dividing cells located at the tips of shoots and roots. After germination all the aerial parts of the plant are derived from the shoot apical meristem (SAM). Continuous growth is governed by the SAM by balancing the maintenance of undifferentiated cells in the centre and the cell differentiation in the periphery. Several genes including WUSCHEL and the CLAVATA genes have been identified that control meristem function. This proposal aims to understand the function of a new meristem gene called FLAT SHOOT APEX (FSA), which is required to maintain a proper SAM during development. The goal of this project is to analyse the function of the FSA in meristem maintenance and to integrate the FSA-dependent pathway in the existing models using genetic and molecular methods including the expression analysis in wild type and mutant backgrounds, the analysis of mitotic activities, and the isolation of interacting proteins. The role of the FSA in cell differentiation and cell division will be addressed.