Cell differentiation in the vascular cambium: New tool, 120-year debate

Abstract

Poplar is an important model for gene discovery and characterization. These trees undergo extensive secondary growth to produce wood from the vascular cambium, but it has been challenging to visualize the earliest stages of development. Bossinger and Spokevicius (2018) have used a technique known as sector analysis to visualize cell fate, addressing a longstanding debate on the origins of xylem and phloem in tree cells and providing an unprecedented look at initial wood formation.