Signals that control plant vascular cell differentiation

Plant vascular cells originate from procambial cells, which are vascular stem cells. Recent studies with Zinnia elegans cell culture and Arabidopsis thaliana mutants indicate that intercellular-signalling molecules such as auxin, cytokinin, brassinosteroids and xylogen regulate the maintenance or differentiation of procambial cells through distinct intracellular-signal transduction and gene-expression machineries. This intercellular- and intracellular-signalling system might be involved in determining the continuity and pattern formation of vascular tissues.