Events

Abstract

Floral transition is accompanied by a rapid reorganization of shoot growth and architecture. A striking feature of this transition is the sudden acceleration of apical axillary meristem (AM) initiation and branching, processes that are typically delayed during vegetative development. How flowering signals coordinate this developmental shift remains poorly understood. Using tomato, we identify a transient florigen-dependent regulatory module that promotes rapid initiation of vegetative and reproductive axillary meristems during floral transition. This branching program operates in parallel with a meristem maturation pathway, and coordination between these pathways determines inflorescence complexity and shoot architecture. Our findings reveal how systemic flowering signals are integrated with localized developmental programs to generate architectural diversity.