Regulation of in vitro embryogenesis

了解细胞在不断变化的环境条件下如何表现和采取特定的发育命运是动植物生物学中的一个基本问题。 这一概念在植物中得到了最好的例证，其中完全成熟（分化）的细胞有能力失去其发育程序（去分化），并通过获得新的命运进入新的途径。 这种能力增加了在压力条件下生存的可能性，对受损组织或器官的再生至关重要，将使用体外胚胎发生作为模型系统进行研究。 在体外胚胎发生过程中，具有营养发育命运的细胞可以通过简单的化学操作重新编程以形成胚胎发生细胞和胚胎（并最终形成植物）。

Understanding how cells behave and adopt specific developmental fates under changing environmental conditions is a fundamental question in animal and plant biology. The concept is best exemplified in plants where fully mature (differentiated) cells have the ability to lose their developmental program (de-differentiate) and embark into new pathways through the acquisition of novel fates. This capacity, which increases possibilities of survival during stress conditions and is vital for regenerating damaged tissues or organs, will be studied using in vitro embryogenesis as a model system. During in vitro embryogenesis, cells with a vegetative developmental fate can be reprogrammed to form embryogenic cells and embryos (and eventually plants) by simple chemical manipulations.