Phyllotaxis: from patterns of organogenesis at the meristem to shoot architecture

The primary architecture of the aerial part of plants is controlled by the shoot apical meristem, a specialized tissue containing a stem cell niche. The iterative generation of new aerial organs, (leaves, lateral inflorescences, and flowers) at the meristem follows regular patterns, called phyllotaxis. Phyllotaxis has long been proposed to self-organize from the combined action of growth and of inhibitory fields blocking organogenesis in the vicinity of existing organs in the meristem. In this review, we will highlight how a combination of mathematical/computational modeling and experimental biology has demonstrated that the spatiotemporal distribution of the plant hormone auxin controls both organogenesis and the establishment of inhibitory fields. We will discuss recent advances showing that auxin likely acts through a combination of biochemical and mechanical regulatory mechanisms that control not only the pattern of organogenesis in the meristem but also postmeristematic growth, to shape the shoot. WIREs Dev Biol 2016, 5:460-473. doi: 10.1002/wdev.231 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.