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Contact-dependent Signaling

Contact-dependent Signaling

Contact-dependent signaling, as the name suggests, requires that communicating cells be in direct contact with each other. This is achieved either through receptor-ligand interactions or by specialized cytoplasmic channels that allow the flow of small molecules between cells. In animal cells, channels called gap junctions facilitate contact-dependent signaling in certain tissues, whereas, plasmodesmata perform a similar function in plants.
Gap Junctions
In animal cells, gap junctions are formed...

Gap Junctions

Gap Junctions

Multicellular organisms employ a variety of ways for cells to communicate with each other. Gap junctions are specialized proteins that form pores between neighboring cells in animals, connecting the cytoplasm between the two, and allowing for the exchange of molecules and ions. They are found in a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate species, mediate numerous functions including cell differentiation and development, and are associated with numerous human diseases, including cardiac and...

Animal and Plant Cell Structure

Animal and Plant Cell Structure

Animal and plant cells not only differ in their structure, function, and mode of nutrition but also in how they reproduce, specialize, and organize into complex structures.
Cell Division
Though both plant and animal cells divide by mitosis (for non-gametic cells) and meiosis (for gametic cells), they differ in the specifics of this process. Unlike animal cells, plant cells lack centrosomes — an organelle responsible for organizing the spindle fibers and segregating the chromosomes during...

Cell Signaling in Plants

Cell Signaling in Plants

Plant cells communicate to coordinate their cycle of growth, flowering and fruiting, and activities in roots, shoots, and leaves in response to the changing environmental conditions. Plant signaling is distinct from animal signaling. Plants primarily utilize enzyme-linked receptors, whereas the largest class of cell-surface receptors in animals are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Unlike animals, receptor tyrosine kinases are rare in plants. Instead, plants have a diverse class of...

Gap Junctions

Gap Junctions

The cytoplasm of adjacent animal cells can exchange small molecules, ions, and secondary messengers via the communication channels which form the gap junctions. These junctions comprise a few hundred to thousands of molecular channels, each made of two halves, called the connexon hemichannel. A connexon is a hexamer of six transmembrane connexin proteins, which assemble radially, thus forming a pore or channel in the center. One connexon hemichannel docks with a corresponding connexon on the...

Plasmodesmata

Plasmodesmata

In a multicellular organism, cells must communicate to work together in a coordinated manner. One way that cells communicate is through direct contact with other cells. The points of contact that connect adjacent cells are called intercellular junctions.
Intercellular junctions are a feature of fungal, plant, and animal cells. However, different types of junctions are found in different kinds of cells. Intercellular junctions found in animal cells include tight junctions, gap junctions, and...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 4, 2026

A New Application of the Electrical Penetration Graph EPG for Acquiring and Measuring Electrical Signals in Phloem Sieve Elements

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A common switch used by plants and animals.

Philip N Benfey¹

¹Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.

|January 14, 2004

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Plant and animal development often appear distinct. However, a MAPKK kinase

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Last Updated: May 4, 2026

A New Application of the Electrical Penetration Graph EPG for Acquiring and Measuring Electrical Signals in Phloem Sieve Elements

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A Labor-saving and Repeatable Touch-force Signaling Mutant Screen Protocol for the Study of Thigmomorphogenesis of a Model Plant Arabidopsis thaliana

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Area of Science:

Plant biology
Developmental biology
Molecular genetics

Background:

Traditional comparisons of plant and animal development emphasize divergent evolutionary paths.
Cell specification is a critical early step in embryogenesis for all multicellular organisms.

Discussion:

The identification of a MAPKK kinase in Arabidopsis embryo development challenges the notion of fundamental differences.
This finding suggests conserved molecular mechanisms underlying early cell fate decisions across kingdoms.

Key Insights:

A specific MAPKK kinase is crucial for cell specification during the first division of the Arabidopsis embryo.
This points to a shared molecular logic in early development between plants and animals.

Outlook:

Further research can explore homologous pathways in animal development.
Investigating this common logic may reveal novel targets for developmental biology research.