Cell cycle control and plant morphogenesis: is there an essential link?

Plant morphogenesis has some interesting features that may have consequences for the regulation of cell division. In particular, the immobility of plant cells implies the necessity for highly accurate controls, in contrast with the flexibility of many developmental processes in animals. An important question in plant development concerns the status of the relationship between plant morphogenesis and cell division. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge of the molecular mechanisms controlling the plant cell cycle and how this could be differentially regulated during plant morphogenesis. The plant genes involved are homologous to those of other higher eukaryotes, suggesting a similar cell cycle machinery. A variety of mechanisms control these genes, reflecting the complexity of internal and environmental signals to which plants should respond. This intricate network requires an upstream control mechanism to function as a failsafe system and to govern cell division and growth to produce the correct plant shape. BioEssays 21:29–37, 1999.