How metabolism and development are intertwined in space and time.

SUMMARY: Developmental transitions, occurring throughout the life cycle of plants, require precise regulation of metabolic processes to generate the energy and resources necessary for the committed growth processes. In parallel, the establishment of new cells, tissues, and even organs, alongside their differentiation provoke profound changes in metabolism. It is increasingly being recognized that there is a certain degree of feedback regulation between the components and products of metabolic pathways and developmental regulators. The generation of large‐scale metabolomics datasets during developmental transitions, in combination with molecular genetic approaches has helped to further our knowledge on the functional importance of metabolic regulation of development. In this perspective article, we provide insights into studies that elucidate interactions between metabolism and development at the temporal and spatial scales. We additionally discuss how this influences cell growth‐related processes. We also highlight how metabolic intermediates function as signaling molecules to direct plant development in response to changing internal and external conditions. Significance Statement: How molecular and chemical events are spatiotemporally regulated to influence developmental processes is a fundamental question in biology. In this article we provide insights on studies that show interaction between metabolism and development and discuss how metabolic processes impact cellular processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]