A review maps how the WUS/WOX gene family acts as the master control system for stem cells in forest trees — governing wood formation, regeneration, and stress responses. Unlocking these genes with CRISPR could finally make tree breeding as fast and precise as crop improvement.
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The WOX4 gene maintains the identity of wood-producing cambial cells and actively prevents them from turning prematurely into xylem (structural wood), revealing a distinct control circuit unique to woody plants.
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Conifers and other gymnosperms carry 'transitional' WUS genes that fill an evolutionary gap, showing how the stem-cell regulatory system in modern flowering trees evolved from more ancient forms.
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WUS-derived peptides can overcome the stubborn regeneration barrier in forest trees — the long-standing bottleneck that has made genetic transformation of most tree species impractical.
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