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Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2004; 6(5): 590-597
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-821090
Original Paper

Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart KG · New York

A Logical (Discrete) Formulation for the Storage and Recall of Environmental Signals in Plants

M. Thellier1 , J. Demongeot2 , V. Norris1 , J. Guespin3 , C. Ripoll1 , R. Thomas4
  • 1Laboratoire AMMIS, FRE CNRS 2829, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Rouen, 76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan Cedex, France
  • 2TIMC-IMAG-CNRS UJF-INPG & IUF, Faculté de Médecine, 38706 La Tronche, France
  • 3Laboratoire de Microbiologie du Froid, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Rouen, 76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan Cedex, France
  • 4Centre for Non-linear Phenomena and Complex Systems, ULB, CP 231, Bd du Triomphe, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
21 July 2004 (online)

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Abstract

When subjected to an appropriate asymmetric stimulus, seedlings of Bidens pilosa L. “store” a symmetry-breaking instruction that will finally take effect (in the form of a differential growth of the cotyledonary buds) only if the plants are in a state in which they can “recall” this information. The ability of the plants to recall the stored symmetry-breaking instruction may be switched “on” or “off” by the application of a variety of stimuli. Although its detailed phenomenology is rather complicated, the overall behaviour of the plant storage/recall system can be modelled by use of an asynchronous, logical (discrete) description involving positive and negative feedback circuits, which are required for the existence of multi-stationarity and stability, respectively. The state tables, as used in this formalism, give a concise and easy-to-handle description of the evolution of the system and make it particularly easy to determine its stable states. This modelling approach may be extended to the formulation of many other experimental systems.

Key words

Asynchronous logical formalism - memory - evocation - bud growth - apical dominance - internal clock - positive circuit - Bidens pilosa - plants.

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M. Thellier

Laboratoire AMMIS
Faculté des Sciences
Université de Rouen

FRE CNRS 2829

76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan Cedex

France

Email: michel.thellier@univ-rouen.fr

Section Editor: M. C. Ball