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Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences :... Feb 2021Plasmodesmata are intercellular pores connecting together most plant cells. These structures consist of a central constricted form of the endoplasmic reticulum,... (Review)
Review
Plasmodesmata are intercellular pores connecting together most plant cells. These structures consist of a central constricted form of the endoplasmic reticulum, encircled by some cytoplasmic space, in turn delimited by the plasma membrane, itself ultimately surrounded by the cell wall. The presence and structure of plasmodesmata create multiple routes for intercellular trafficking of a large spectrum of molecules (encompassing RNAs, proteins, hormones and metabolites) and also enable local signalling events. Movement across plasmodesmata is finely controlled inĀ order to balance processes requiring communication with those necessitating symplastic isolation. Here, we describe the identities and roles of the molecular components (specific sets of lipids, proteins and wall polysaccharides) that shape and define plasmodesmata structural and functional domains. We highlight the extensive and dynamic interactions that exist between the plasma/endoplasmic reticulum membranes, cytoplasm and cell wall domains, binding them together to effectively define plasmodesmata shapes and purposes.
Topics: Biological Transport; Cell Communication; Cell Wall; Cytoplasmic Structures; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Membrane Lipids; Plant Proteins; Plants; Plasmodesmata; Polysaccharides
PubMed: 32920696
DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03622-8 -
F1000prime Reports 2015Plasmodesmata (PDs) are microscopic channels that connect virtually every plant cell to its neighbors. They also provide a route for molecules to access the phloem for... (Review)
Review
Plasmodesmata (PDs) are microscopic channels that connect virtually every plant cell to its neighbors. They also provide a route for molecules to access the phloem for systemic movement throughout the plant. In this report, I review recent findings that broaden the potential impact of these channels, by revealing their contribution to auxin movement and as potential sites of receptor signaling. These discoveries should prompt a reassessment of symplasmic connectivity and its importance to plant development, defense, and physiology.
PubMed: 25926976
DOI: 10.12703/P7-25 -
The New Phytologist Jun 2018Plasmodesmata (PD) are membrane-lined pores that connect neighbouring plant cells and allow molecular exchange via the symplast. Past studies have revealed the basic... (Review)
Review
Plasmodesmata (PD) are membrane-lined pores that connect neighbouring plant cells and allow molecular exchange via the symplast. Past studies have revealed the basic structure of PD, some of the transport mechanisms for molecules through PD, and a variety of physiological processes in which they function. Recently, with the help of newly developed technologies, several exciting new features of PD have been revealed. New PD structures were observed during early formation of PD and between phloem sieve elements and phloem pole pericycle cells in roots. Both observations challenge our current understanding of PD structure and function. Research into novel physiological responses, which are regulated by PD, indicates that we have not yet fully explored the potential contribution of PD to overall plant function. In this Viewpoint article, we summarize some of the recent advances in understanding the structure and function of PD and propose the challenges ahead for the community.
Topics: Calcium Signaling; Cell Wall; Circadian Clocks; Genome, Plant; Plasmodesmata; Symbiosis
PubMed: 29574753
DOI: 10.1111/nph.15130 -
Plant Science : An International... Oct 2023Ovules are precursors of seeds and contain sporophytic integuments and gametophytic embryo sac. In Arabidopsis, embryo sac development requires highly synchronized... (Review)
Review
Ovules are precursors of seeds and contain sporophytic integuments and gametophytic embryo sac. In Arabidopsis, embryo sac development requires highly synchronized morphogenesis of integument such that defects in integument growth often accompanies with a block in megagametogenesis, indicating that integument instructs the development of female gametophytes. In this mini review, we discuss signaling pathways through which integument cells mediate embryo sac development. We also propose ways to identify key signaling factors for the communication between integument and developing female gametophyte.
Topics: Ovule; Signal Transduction; Arabidopsis; Seeds; Arabidopsis Proteins
PubMed: 37574141
DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111829 -
Plant Signaling & Behavior 2019: Certain proteins and the glucose monomer have spacing of their carbonyl oxygen atoms that match the spacing of the oxygen atoms of hexagonal ice. This opens the...
: Certain proteins and the glucose monomer have spacing of their carbonyl oxygen atoms that match the spacing of the oxygen atoms of hexagonal ice. This opens the possibility that a sequence of linked glucose residues may have a sequence of equally spaced carbonyl oxygen atoms. : Callose In plants is a duality consisting of the callose itself and a layer of ordered water whose oxygen atoms are hydrogen bonded to the carbonyl oxygen atoms in the callose. The atomic basis of the hypothesis is that the 1-3 linkage between glucose residues in callose results in equally spaced carbonyl oxygen atoms within and between residues. : The physical properties of the duality are the properties of callose itself: 1) it is immobile, 2) it can be created and dissolved, 3) it can exist at a submicrometer to micrometers space scale. The electrical properties of ordered water in a botanical platform are not known at the present time. They can be derived only from limited data in non biological platforms and inferences from the electrical properties of ice. These properties are 1) proton movement is governed by the Grotthuss mechanism, 2) there is insignificant movement of non-protonic ions and larger molecules through the ordered water, 3) proton movement is isotropic. : Known locations of callose were examined theoretically to determine the functionality of a callose/ordered water duality. These locations were sieve plate pores, plasmodesmata and pollen tubes, stomatal guard cells, companion cell/sieve tube complex and micro and megasporocytes. : In a botanical context, protonic circuits at a single cell and supracellular level take the form of a proton microloop wherein callose/ordered water is one component in the loop. These circuits use both the enhanced proton mobility and the ion blocking ability of ordered water.
Topics: Glucans; Plasmodesmata; Pollen Tube; Water
PubMed: 31286837
DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2018.1548878 -
Trends in Plant Science Aug 2021Successful plant organ development depends on well-coordinated intercellular communication between the cells of the organ itself, as well as with surrounding cells.... (Review)
Review
Successful plant organ development depends on well-coordinated intercellular communication between the cells of the organ itself, as well as with surrounding cells. Intercellular signals often move via the symplasmic pathway using plasmodesmata. Intriguingly, brief periods of symplasmic isolation may also be necessary to promote organ differentiation and functionality. Recent findings suggest that symplasmic isolation of a subset of parental root cells and newly forming lateral root primordia (LRPs) plays a vital role in modulating lateral root development and emergence. In this opinion article we discuss how two symplasmic domains may be simultaneously established within an LRP and its overlying cells, and the significance of plasmodesmata in this process.
Topics: Arabidopsis; Cell Differentiation; Plant Roots; Plasmodesmata
PubMed: 33685810
DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2021.01.006 -
Journal of Plant Research Jan 2015Plasmodesmata (PD) are intercellular connections in plants which play roles in various developmental processes. They are also found in brown algae, a group of eukaryotes... (Review)
Review
Plasmodesmata (PD) are intercellular connections in plants which play roles in various developmental processes. They are also found in brown algae, a group of eukaryotes possessing complex multicellularity, as well as green plants. Recently, we conducted an ultrastructural study of PD in several species of brown algae. PD in brown algae are commonly straight plasma membrane-lined channels with a diameter of 10-20 nm and they lack desmotubule in contrast to green plants. Moreover, branched PD could not be observed in brown algae. In the brown alga, Dictyota dichotoma, PD are produced during cytokinesis through the formation of their precursor structures (pre-plasmodesmata, PPD). Clustering of PD in a structure termed "pit field" was recognized in several species having a complex multicellular thallus structure but not in those having uniseriate filamentous or multiseriate one. The pit fields might control cell-to-cell communication and contribute to the establishment of the complex multicellular thallus. In this review, we discuss fundamental morphological aspects of brown algal PD and present questions that remain open.
Topics: Cell Wall; Cytokinesis; Phaeophyceae; Plasmodesmata
PubMed: 25516500
DOI: 10.1007/s10265-014-0677-4 -
Journal of Experimental Botany May 2021Be it a small herb or a large tree, intra- and intercellular communication and long-distance signalling between distant organs are crucial for every aspect of plant... (Review)
Review
Be it a small herb or a large tree, intra- and intercellular communication and long-distance signalling between distant organs are crucial for every aspect of plant development. The vascular system, comprising xylem and phloem, acts as a major conduit for the transmission of long-distance signals in plants. In addition to expanding our knowledge of vascular development, numerous reports in the past two decades revealed that selective populations of RNAs, proteins, and phytohormones function as mobile signals. Many of these signals were shown to regulate diverse physiological processes, such as flowering, leaf and root development, nutrient acquisition, crop yield, and biotic/abiotic stress responses. In this review, we summarize the significant discoveries made in the past 25 years, with emphasis on key mobile signalling molecules (mRNAs, proteins including RNA-binding proteins, and small RNAs) that have revolutionized our understanding of how plants integrate various intrinsic and external cues in orchestrating growth and development. Additionally, we provide detailed insights on the emerging molecular mechanisms that might control the selective trafficking and delivery of phloem-mobile RNAs to target tissues. We also highlight the cross-kingdom movement of mobile signals during plant-parasite relationships. Considering the dynamic functions of these signals, their implications in crop improvement are also discussed.
Topics: Cell Communication; Phloem; Plant Development; Plants; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 33682884
DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab048 -
Frontiers in Plant Science 2015The most conspicuous function of plastids is the oxygenic photosynthesis of chloroplasts, yet plastids are super-factories that produce a plethora of compounds that are... (Review)
Review
The most conspicuous function of plastids is the oxygenic photosynthesis of chloroplasts, yet plastids are super-factories that produce a plethora of compounds that are indispensable for proper plant physiology and development. Given their origins as free-living prokaryotes, it is not surprising that plastids possess their own genomes whose expression is essential to plastid function. This semi-autonomous character of plastids requires the existence of sophisticated regulatory mechanisms that provide reliable communication between them and other cellular compartments. Such intracellular signaling is necessary for coordinating whole-cell responses to constantly varying environmental cues and cellular metabolic needs. This is achieved by plastids acting as receivers and transmitters of specific signals that coordinate expression of the nuclear and plastid genomes according to particular needs. In this review we will consider the so-called retrograde signaling occurring between plastids and nuclei, and between plastids and other organelles. Another important role of the plastid we will discuss is the involvement of plastid signaling in biotic and abiotic stress that, in addition to influencing retrograde signaling, has direct effects on several cellular compartments including the cell wall. We will also review recent evidence pointing to an intriguing function of chloroplasts in regulating intercellular symplasmic transport. Finally, we consider an intriguing yet less widely known aspect of plant biology, chloroplast signaling from the perspective of the entire plant. Thus, accumulating evidence highlights that chloroplasts, with their complex signaling pathways, provide a mechanism for exquisite regulation of plant development, metabolism and responses to the environment. As chloroplast processes are targeted for engineering for improved productivity the effect of such modifications on chloroplast signaling will have to be carefully considered in order to avoid unintended consequences on plant growth and development.
PubMed: 26500659
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2015.00781 -
Current Opinion in Plant Biology Feb 2020Plasmodesmata pores control the entry and exit of molecules at cell-to-cell boundaries. Hundreds of pores perforate the plant cell wall, connecting cells together and... (Review)
Review
Plasmodesmata pores control the entry and exit of molecules at cell-to-cell boundaries. Hundreds of pores perforate the plant cell wall, connecting cells together and establishing direct cytosolic and membrane continuity. This ability to connect cells in such a way is a hallmark of plant physiology and is thought to have allowed sessile multicellularity in Plantae kingdom. Indeed, plasmodesmata-mediated cell-to-cell signalling is fundamental to many plant-related processes. In fact, there are so many facets of plant biology under the control of plasmodesmata that it is hard to conceive how such tiny structures can do so much. While they provide 'open doors' between cells, they also need to guarantee cellular identities and territories by selectively transporting molecules. Although plasmodesmata operating mode remains difficult to grasp, little by little plant scientists are divulging their secrets. In this review, we highlight novel functions of cell-to-cell signalling and share recent insights into how plasmodesmata structural and molecular signatures confer functional specificity and plasticity to these unique cellular machines.
Topics: Cell Communication; Cell Membrane; Cell Wall; Plant Physiological Phenomena; Plasmodesmata
PubMed: 31805513
DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2019.10.009