Molecular cloning of differentially expressed and cell cycle-related cDNAs in the maize root apex

Abstract

Abstract Recent work on lower (yeast) and higher eukaryotic cells (animals and plants) has resulted in a consensus picture of the molecular factors which control the cell cycle. It is clear that the master cell cycle regulators are highly conserved across species and the progression of the cell cycle is regulated by very similar sets of molecules in all eukaryotic cells. It is also widely recognized that protein phosphorylation is central to cell cycle regulation in eukaryotes. However, different organisms are not only characterized by obviously different developmental patterns and lifestyles, but are also likely to have developed specific mechanisms for the spatial and temporal control of cell division. Here we briefly describe some of the more remarkable features of cell proliferation in higher plants as opposed to the cell cycle in yeast and animals. We also describe the root apex of maize which represents our experimental system to identify both evolutionary conserved genes encoding key cell cycle regulators and novel plant genes which may play important roles in the coordination of cell cycle events in relation to the organization of the meristem and plant development.