From procambium patterning to cambium activation and maintenance in the Arabidopsis root

Abstract

In addition to primary growth, which elongates the plant body, many plant species also undergo secondary growth to thicken their body. During primary vascular development, a subset of the vascular cells, called procambium and pericycle, remain undifferentiated to later gain vascular cambium and cork cambium identity, respectively. These two cambia are the lateral meristems providing secondary growth. The vascular cambium produces secondary xylem and phloem, which give plants mechanical support and transport capacity. Cork cambium produces a protective layer called cork. In this review, we focus on recent advances in understanding the formation of procambium and its gradual maturation to active cambium in the Arabidopsis thaliana root.