This research identifies a negative feedback loop between two proteins, LEAFY (LFY) and TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1), which regulates the growth patterns of plant shoots. While the florigen protein (FT) typically signals plants to stop growing and start producing flowers, the inflorescence meristem at the tip of the shoot remains indeterminate, allowing for continuous growth. The study reveals that LFY activates TFL1 specifically in this central growth zone, while TFL1 simultaneously restricts LFY levels to prevent the tip from turning into a flower. Using computational modeling and genetic experiments in Arabidopsis, the authors demonstrate that this internal balancing act buffers the plant against environmental fluctuations. This mechanism ensures that while lateral meristems transition into flowers for reproduction, the main shoot maintains its stem cell pool for sustained development.

References:

• Huang T, Hodgens C, Prakash S, et al. A negative feedback loop between TERMINAL FLOWER1 and LEAFY protects inflorescence indeterminacy[J]. Science, 2026: eadv5429.