Plant morphogenesis, auxin, and the signal-trafficking network incompleteness theorem

Plant morphogenesis (the development of form and function) requires signal-trafficking and cross-talking among all levels of organization to coordinate the operation of metabolic and genomic networked systems. Many if not all of these biological features can be rendered as logic circuits supervising...

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Main Authors: Karl J. Niklas, Ulrich eKutschera
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2012-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Plant Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpls.2012.00037/full
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author Karl J. Niklas
Ulrich eKutschera
author_facet Karl J. Niklas
Ulrich eKutschera
author_sort Karl J. Niklas
collection DOAJ
description Plant morphogenesis (the development of form and function) requires signal-trafficking and cross-talking among all levels of organization to coordinate the operation of metabolic and genomic networked systems. Many if not all of these biological features can be rendered as logic circuits supervising the operation of one or more signal-activated metabolic or genome networks. This approach simplifies complex morphogenetic phenomena and allows for their aggregation into diagrams of larger, more "global" networked systems. This conceptualization is illustrated for morphogenesis in model plants such as maize (Zea mays) and Thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) from an evolutionary perspective. The phytohormone indole-acetic acid (IAA) is used as an example for a well-known signaling chemical and discussed in terms of the logic circuits and signal-activated sub-systems for hormone-mediated wall loosening and cell expansion as well as polar/lateral intercellular IAA transport. For each of these phenomena, a circuit/sub-system diagram highlights missing components, either in the logic circuit or in the sub-system it supervises, that must be identified experimentally if each of these basic phenomena is to be fully understood within a phylogen
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spelling doaj.art-95241c554c824065931438156bb8c2362022-12-22T02:53:19ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2012-03-01310.3389/fpls.2012.0003718684Plant morphogenesis, auxin, and the signal-trafficking network incompleteness theoremKarl J. Niklas0Ulrich eKutschera1Cornell UniversityUniversity of KasselPlant morphogenesis (the development of form and function) requires signal-trafficking and cross-talking among all levels of organization to coordinate the operation of metabolic and genomic networked systems. Many if not all of these biological features can be rendered as logic circuits supervising the operation of one or more signal-activated metabolic or genome networks. This approach simplifies complex morphogenetic phenomena and allows for their aggregation into diagrams of larger, more "global" networked systems. This conceptualization is illustrated for morphogenesis in model plants such as maize (Zea mays) and Thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) from an evolutionary perspective. The phytohormone indole-acetic acid (IAA) is used as an example for a well-known signaling chemical and discussed in terms of the logic circuits and signal-activated sub-systems for hormone-mediated wall loosening and cell expansion as well as polar/lateral intercellular IAA transport. For each of these phenomena, a circuit/sub-system diagram highlights missing components, either in the logic circuit or in the sub-system it supervises, that must be identified experimentally if each of these basic phenomena is to be fully understood within a phylogenhttp://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpls.2012.00037/fullTranscription Factorsauxingene networksPlant evolutionIAA
spellingShingle Karl J. Niklas
Ulrich eKutschera
Plant morphogenesis, auxin, and the signal-trafficking network incompleteness theorem
Frontiers in Plant Science
Transcription Factors
auxin
gene networks
Plant evolution
IAA
title Plant morphogenesis, auxin, and the signal-trafficking network incompleteness theorem
title_full Plant morphogenesis, auxin, and the signal-trafficking network incompleteness theorem
title_fullStr Plant morphogenesis, auxin, and the signal-trafficking network incompleteness theorem
title_full_unstemmed Plant morphogenesis, auxin, and the signal-trafficking network incompleteness theorem
title_short Plant morphogenesis, auxin, and the signal-trafficking network incompleteness theorem
title_sort plant morphogenesis auxin and the signal trafficking network incompleteness theorem
topic Transcription Factors
auxin
gene networks
Plant evolution
IAA
url http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpls.2012.00037/full
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