Abstract
During the embryogenesis, the basic body plan of an organism develops from a unicellular zygote. In higher plants, the zygote divides asymmetrically, generating two daughter cells of different fates: the small apical daughter will form the aerial organs of plants, whereas the large basal cell will produce all the below-ground roots. We identified Arabidopsis homeobox genes, WOX2 (WUSCHEL-related homeobox2) and WOX8, whose dynamic expression pattern during embryogenesis reflects the apical-basal axis development. We have used these genes as tools to investigate how asymmetry of cell fates originates during early embryogenesis.
