Linking cell cycle to stomatal differentiation

Abstract

Stomatal differentiation manifests via several rounds of asymmetric cell division and a single symmetric cell division: the former, formative divisions amplify the number of epidermal cells, and the latter is essential for creating a functional guard cell pair. These cell division patterns are coordinated with progressive fate specification and cell-state transitional steps, which rely on the transcriptional regulation by a set of cell type-specific basic helix loop helix (bHLH) transcription factors. It has been proposed that the mechanisms underlying cell-fate decision and cell cycle progression are interconnected in a wide range of developmental processes. This review highlights the recent findings on how cell cycle regulators are transcriptionally regulated and contributing to each step of stomatal lineage progression.