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On the Cover: The number of stem cells in the shoot and floral meristem is controlled by two antagonistic components, a stem cellpromoting WUS transcription factor and a stem cell-restricting CLV3-CLV1/CLV2 ligand-receptor complex. Mutation of WUS leads to termination of shoot apical meristem, whereas mutation of any of the CLV genes, such as the clv3 mutant shown on the cover, leads to production of extra flowers and floral organs. Previous studies have shown thatCLV3 encodes a putative peptide ligand, but the exact form in which CLV3 executes its function remains unknown. In this issue, Fiers et al. (pp. 1284–1292) demonstrate through a deletion analysis that the conserved 14-amino acid CLE motif located near the C terminus ofCLV3 acts independent of its adjacent sequences to control the stem cell population in Arabidopsis. Synthetic peptide corresponding to the CLE motif is able to restrict both the WUS expression domain and the size of the shoot apical meristem, suggesting that the CLE motif is the functional cue of CLV3. Cover design by Martijn Fiers and Chun-Ming Liu.