A fascinating feature of plant growth and development is that plants initiate organs continually throughout their lifespan. The ability to do this relies on specialized groups of pluripotent stem cells termed meristems, which allow for the elaboration of the shoot, root, and vascular systems. We now have a deep understanding of the genetic networks that control meristem initiation and stem cell maintenance, including the roles of receptors and their ligands, transcription factors, and integrated hormonal and chromatin control. This review describes these networks and discusses how this knowledge is being applied to improve crop productivity by increasing fruit size and seed number.

中文翻译：

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分生组织大小的控制

植物生长和发育的一个迷人特征是植物在其整个生命周期中不断地启动器官。做到这一点的能力依赖于被称为分生组织的多能干细胞的特殊群体，它允许细化枝条、根和维管系统。我们现在对控制分生组织起始和干细胞维持的遗传网络有了深入的了解，包括受体及其配体、转录因子以及综合激素和染色质控制的作用。本综述描述了这些网络，并讨论了如何通过增加果实大小和种子数量来应用这些知识来提高作物生产力。