%A Han,Yingying %A Yang,Haibian %A Jiao,Yuling %D 2014 %J Frontiers in Plant Science %C %F %G English %K Inflorescence,branching,Cytokinin,floral meristem,shoot apical meristem %Q %R 10.3389/fpls.2014.00669 %W %L %M %P %7 %8 2014-November-24 %9 Mini Review %+ Dr Yuling Jiao,State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology – Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing, China,yuling.jiao@pku-iaas.edu.cn %# %! Regulation of Inflorescence Architecture by Cytokinins %* %< %T Regulation of inflorescence architecture by cytokinins %U https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2014.00669 %V 5 %0 JOURNAL ARTICLE %@ 1664-462X %X In flowering plants, the arrangement of flowers on a stem becomes an inflorescence, and a huge variety of inflorescence architecture occurs in nature. Inflorescence architecture also affects crop yield. In simple inflorescences, flowers form on a main stem; by contrast, in compound inflorescences, flowers form on branched stems and the branching pattern defines the architecture of the inflorescence. In this review, we highlight recent findings on the regulation of inflorescence architecture by cytokinin plant hormones. Results in rice (Oryza sativa) and Arabidopsis thaliana show that although these two species have distinct inflorescence architectures, cytokinins have a common effect on inflorescence branching. Based on these studies, we discuss how cytokinins regulate distinct types of inflorescence architecture through their effect on meristem activities.