Stem cells are becoming increasingly popular in public lexicon owing to their prospective applications in the biomedical and therapeutic domains. Extensive research has found various independent stem cell systems fulfilling specific needs of plant development. Plant stem cells are innately undifferentiated cells present in the plant's meristematic tissues. Such cells have various commercial uses, wherein cosmetic manufacture involving stem cell derivatives is the most promising field at present. Scientific evidence suggests anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties possessed by various plants such as grapes (Vitis vinifera), lilacs (Syringa vulgaris), Swiss apples (Uttwiler spatlauber) etc. are of great importance in terms of cosmetic applications of plant stem cells. There are widespread uses of plant stem cells and their extracts. The products so formulated have a varied range of applications which included skin whitening, de-tanning, moisturizing, cleansing etc. Despite all the promising developments, the domain of plant stem cells remains hugely unexplored. This article presents an overview of the current scenario of plant stem cells and their applications in humans.

Plant stem cells and their applications: special emphasis on their marketed products.

Establishment of callus and cell suspension cultures of Granny Smith apple fruit and antityrosinase activity of their extracts

Several Kalanchoë species reproduce asexually by forming plantlets in the leaf crenulations. Some species produce plantlets incessantly via somatic embryogenesis and organogenesis, whereas others exclusively develop plantlets after leaf detachment, presumably through organogenesis. SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM), which mediates SAM functions, appears to be involved in Kalanchoë plantlet formation, suggesting that meristem genes may be essential for plantlet formation. However, the genetic regulatory network for establishing and maintaining plantlet primordia in Kalanchoë remains elusive. Here, we showed that meristem genes were differentially expressed in the leaf crenulations of K. pinnata during plantlet development after leaf detachment. The regulatory interactions among these meristem genes are largely conserved in K. pinnata crenulations. Moreover, transgenic antisense (AS) plants with lower expression of these key meristem genes formed significantly fewer plantlets with some morphological defects, suggesting that the meristem genes play an important role in plantlet formation and development. Our research revealed that key meristem genetic pathways were co-opted to the leaf margin to facilitate the unique asexual reproduction mechanism in K. pinnata. This also highlights how evolutionary tinkering invents new structures such as epiphyllous buds and plantlets by rewiring pre-existing genetic pathways.

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Meristem genes are essential for the vegetative reproduction of Kalanchoë pinnata

Existences of pluripotent and totipotent stem cells in plants have been reported over the years. Major genes in plants identified to maintain the stem cell niche, niche position and cell differentiation include Wuschel (WUS), Clavata (CLV), Plethora (PLT), Scarecrow(SCR) and Meristemless (STM) along with other genes whose functions are yet to be understood. Plant stem cells are present within niches of defined zones of the shoot and root meristem. Transcription factors and phytohormones have been reported to regulate the maintenance and function of plant stem cells. The various forms of plant stem cells, their regulatory genes and the applications of their regenerative properties are discussed throughout the review.

Deepa P Sankar

Papers

Plant Stem Cells-Regulation and Applications: A Brief Review