Plant meristems

Unlike many animals, the adult body of a plant is not defined during embryogenesis. Instead, throughout their lifecycle, plants undergo a series of developmental changes that rely on the activity of groups of pluripotent stem cells, known as meristems. Plants exhibit two primary meristems: the root apical meristem, from which root tissues differentiate, and the shoot apical meristem, from which the aerial part of the plant develops. The latter can itself evolve from a vegetative to a reproductive meristem. Besides regulating plant development, meristems are also key to ensure plant survival under adverse environmental conditions and to store information of past stress events.

This Collection aims to showcase the latest research on plant primary and secondary meristems and invites original research on meristem-related molecular signalling and how it impacts plant development and responses to the environment.