Modeling the organization of the WUSCHEL expression domain in the shoot apical meristem

• DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/bti1036
• Publication Date: 2005-06-16T13:08:03Z
• Authors: H. Jonsson; M. Heisler; G. V. Reddy; V. Agrawal; V. Gor; B. E. Shapiro; E. Mjolsness; E. M. Meyerowitz
• Keywords: Homeodomain Proteins; 0301 basic medicine; Microscopy, Confocal; Bioinformatics and Systems Biology; Arabidopsis Proteins; Meristem; Arabidopsis; Computational Biology; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; 612; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; Genes, Plant; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Up-Regulation; 03 medical and health sciences; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Software; Plant Proteins

Motivation: The above-ground tissues of higher plants are generated from a small region cells situated at the plant apex called shoot apical meristem. An important genetic control circuit modulating size Arabidopsis thaliana meristem is feed-back network between CLAVATA3 and WUSCHEL genes. Although expression patterns for these genes do not overlap, activity both necessary sufficient (when expressed ectopically) induction expression. However, upregulation in conjunction with receptor kinase CLAVATA1 results downregulation WUSCHEL. Despite much work, experimental data this incomplete additional hypotheses needed to explain spatial locations dynamics domains. Predictive mathematical models describing system should provide useful tool investigating discriminating among possible hypotheses, by determining which best observed gene dynamics. Results: We developing method using vivo live confocal microscopy capture quantitative create templates computational models. present two accounting organization domain. Our preferred model uses reaction-diffusion mechanism an activator induces This able organize In addition, predicts dynamical reorganization seen experiments where cells, including domain, ablated, it also expansion domain resulting removal signal. Availability: extended description framework image processing algorithms can be found http://www.computableplant.org, together simulation movies. Contact:[e-mail] Supplementary information:http://www.computableplant.org/ alternatively direct link page, http://computableplant.ics.uci.edu/bti1036 accessed.