Cellular dynamics and regulation of cambium stem cells during secondary growth

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Most of the plant biomass in the Earth’s forests is the product of the cambium. As a cylindrical meristematic region in plant stems, the cambium harbours cambium stem cells (CSCs) that provide cells for generating xylem inwards and phloem outwards to enlarge the plant body along the radial axis. This secondary thickening growth supports the continuous growth of plants physiologically by generating secondary vasculature and mechanically by enlarging the radius of the axes. Despite their importance, the regulatory mechanisms of CSC proliferation and differentiation remain poorly understood. Using the Arabidopsis cambium as a model system, I propose to reveal the regulatory mechanisms of CSCs enabling the continuous secondary growth. I will uncover the cellular dynamics of CSCs during secondary growth and characterize the transcriptome of CSCs and their differentiating daughters with single-cell resolution to identify novel principles and regulators in the cambium. The CSC system differs from other plant stem cell systems like the apical meristem stem cell systems in its dynamics and in the bifacial differentiation pattern. My proposed work will not only accelerate CSC research, but will also provide valuable insights for the future studies of plant stem cell research.