Regulatory Mechanism of Plant Floral Meristem Activity

doi:10.13560/j.cnki.biotech.bull.1985.2025-0924

Abstract

Abstract:

Flowers, the reproductive organs of angiosperms, have evolved highly diverse forms. The floral meristem (FM) provides the cellular basis for the development of floral organs, and its activity determines the FM size and floral organ numbers. The precise regulatory network including environmental signals, phytohormones, and endogenous regulatory factors determines the initiation of floral primordia, the establishment and timed termination of FM, and floral organ identity specification. Since the regulation of floral development and FM activity directly affects the yield of crops, it has been a hotspot for crop breeding. With the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, this review systematically summarizes the molecular mechanisms governing floral primordium initiation and FM establishment mediated by auxin signaling and downstream transcription factors. Besides, this review also details the determining role of “ABCDE” model for floral organ identity, the CLAVATA-WUSCHEL negative feedback loop centered FM activity maintenance and suppression, and the timed FM termination pathway orchestrated by multiple transcription factors. This review also summarizes the latest progress in floral development and FM activity regulation in monocotyledonous crops (including rice (Oryza sativa) and maize (Zea mays)).By comparing mechanisms of flower development and FM regulation in monocot crops (e.g., rice, maize) with those in dicots (e.g., Arabidopsis, tomato), this review reveals the determining roles of the “ABCDE” model in floral organ identity, and the conservation of CLE (CLV3/ ENDOSPERM SURROUNDING REGION) peptide pathways in FM suppression across angiosperms. On this basis, we speculate that the C-class homeotic gene-C2H2/YABBY transcription factor module is a key regulator of timed FM termination in angiosperms. The review also covers emerging technologies in FM research, particularly highlighting the application potential of rapidly advancing single-cell (nucleus) transcriptomics, spatial transcriptomics, and single-cell multi-omics sequencing. These technologies overcome the challenges of FM heterogeneity and cellular diversity, enabling efficient and in-depth dissection of FM regulatory networks in the multi-omics era. Finally, we outline future research directions and potential challenges in FM development, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for elucidating FM regulatory mechanisms and designing molecular breeding strategies based on FM activity.

Key words: flower, floral meristem, floral organ, floral meristem activity, WUSCHEL, phytohormones, single cell transcriptomics

WANG Xin, CHEN Wei, SUN Bo. Regulatory Mechanism of Plant Floral Meristem Activity[J]. Biotechnology Bulletin, 2026, 42(9): 1-13.

Figures/Tables 3

Fig. 1 Regulatory network for the establishment of floral primordium and floral meristem in ArabidopsisThe establishment of floral primordia initiation and meristem activity is determined by a complex regulatory network formed by environmental signals, hormones, and endogenous gene expression. Auxin maxima formed in the peripheral zone (PZ) of the inflorescence meristem (IM) leads to floral primordia initiation through the activation of downstream transcription factor MP. MP, together with its target gene LFY, regulate the expressions of numerous targeted genes and activate cytokinin signaling in an epigenetic modification-dependent manner, thereby defining floral identities, delimiting organ boundaries, promoting floral primordia growth, and establishing FM activity

Fig. 2 The ABCDE model of floral organ identity specificationA: The ABCDE model of floral organ identity specification in the dicot Arabidopsis thaliana. From the outermost to the innermost whorl, the flower consists of four sepals, four petals, six stamens, and one fused gynoecium. B: The ABCDE model of floral organ identity specification in the monocot rice (Oryza sativa). From the outermost to the innermost whorl, the floret consists of one lemma, one palea, two lodicules, six stamens, and a single pistil

Fig. 3 Molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying the inhibition and timely termination of FM termination in ArabidopsisFine-tuned regulatory networks exist in plants to suppress excessive FM activity and to timely terminate FM activity for gynoecium differentiation and development. In the early phases of floral development, phytohormonal regulation (encompassing auxin and cytokinin) and the function of the stem cell identity gene WUS together act as key regulators to constrain hyperactivation of the floral meristem (FM). In Arabidopsis, the MADS-domain protein AG not only could directly repress WUS at floral stage 3, but also activates the C2H2-type zinc finger transcription repressor KNU at floral stage 6. KNU subsequently initiates the epigenetic-dependent transcriptional repression, and rapidly suppresses the expressions of WUS and the stem cell marker gene CLV3, thereby timely terminates the FM activity. Unterminated FM activity in ag, knu, and knu crc mutants produces additional whorls of floral organs [72-74]

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