Symplastic communication in organ formation and tissue patterning

Curr Opin Plant Biol. 2016 Feb:29:21-8. doi: 10.1016/j.pbi.2015.10.007. Epub 2015 Dec 4.

Abstract

Communication between cells is a crucial step to coordinate organ formation and tissue patterning. In plants, the intercellular transport of metabolites and signalling molecules occur symplastically through membranous structures (named plasmodesmata) that traverse the cell wall to connect the cytoplasm and endoplasmic reticulum of neighbouring cells. This review aims to highlight the importance of symplastic communication in plant development. We revisit current literature reporting the effects of changing plasmodesmata in cell morphogenesis, organ initiation and meristem maintenance and comment on recent work involving the identification of novel plasmodesmata regulators and of mobile developmental proteins and RNA molecules. New opportunities for unravelling the dynamic regulation and function of plasmodesmata are also discussed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biological Transport*
  • Plant Development*
  • Plasmodesmata / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction*