The integration of cell division, growth and differentiation.

The development of a multicellular organism such as a flowering plant relies on the patterned control of cell proliferation, differentiation, and growth. Research in the recent years has revealed that the control of cell-cycle progression and growth in plants is distinct from the regulation found in yeast or metazoans. Understanding these plant-specific regulators and networks, in which they act, is key for the understanding of plant development and is of current global importance as a basis for breeding of energy crops as well as the breeding of plants adapted for changing environmental conditions. However, the production of cells and their specification and differentiation overlap in time and space and build an intricate interrelationship of dependencies and feedback loops. In this network, the developmental context and the generation of specific cell types and tissues are often decisive. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.