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Related Concept Videos

Plasmodesmata02:32

Plasmodesmata

The organs in a multicellular organism’s body are made up of tissues formed by cells. To work together cohesively, cells must communicate. One way that cells communicate is through direct contact with other cells. The points of contact that connect adjacent cells are called intercellular junctions.
Plasmodesmata01:20

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...
Contact-dependent Signaling01:19

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...
The Apoplast and Symplast01:46

The Apoplast and Symplast

Plant growth depends on its ability to take up water and dissolved minerals from the soil. The root system of every plant is equipped with the necessary tissues to facilitate the entry of water and solutes. The plant tissues involved in the transport of water and minerals have two major compartments - the apoplast and the symplast. The apoplast includes everything outside the plasma membrane of living cells and consists of cell walls, extracellular spaces, xylem, phloem, and tracheids. The...
The Phragmoplast01:59

The Phragmoplast

Cell division is essential for organismal growth and development. In animal cells, the central spindle and its associated proteins form the midbody, a structure that has an essential role in cytokinesis. In plants, the central spindle, along with the microtubules, actin, and other cell components, matures into the phragmoplast, which is necessary for cytokinesis. Unlike the stationary midbody, the phragmoplast expands centrifugally, eventually leading to the formation of the new cell wall.
The...
Tonicity in Plants00:53

Tonicity in Plants

Tonicity describes the capacity of a cell to lose or gain water. It depends on the quantity of solute that does not penetrate the membrane. Tonicity delimits the magnitude and direction of osmosis and results in three possible scenarios that alter the volume of a cell: hypertonicity, hypotonicity, and isotonicity. Due to differences in structure and physiology, tonicity of plant cells is different from that of animal cells in some scenarios.

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Breaking Through to the Other Side: How Plant Viruses Modify Plasmodesmata and the Plant Cell Wall.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 27, 2026

Confocal Microscopy Analysis of Protein Sorting to Plasmodesmata in Nicotiana benthamiana
05:54

Confocal Microscopy Analysis of Protein Sorting to Plasmodesmata in Nicotiana benthamiana

Published on: November 1, 2024

Plasmodesmata paradigm shift: regulation from without versus within.

Tessa M Burch-Smith1, Patricia C Zambryski

  • 1Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.

Annual Review of Plant Biology
|December 6, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Plant cells use plasmodesmata for communication, overcoming cell wall barriers. Recent research reveals these channels are surprisingly sensitive to cellular homeostasis signals, impacting their formation and function.

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Last Updated: May 27, 2026

Confocal Microscopy Analysis of Protein Sorting to Plasmodesmata in Nicotiana benthamiana
05:54

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Published on: November 1, 2024

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Area of Science:

  • Plant Cell Biology
  • Molecular Plant Physiology

Background:

  • Plant cells possess rigid cellulosic cell walls, necessitating specialized structures for intercellular communication.
  • Plasmodesmata are crucial nano-channels facilitating direct cytoplasmic connections between adjacent plant cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the fundamental aspects of plasmodesmata, including their structure, origin, cargo, and molecular makeup.
  • To explore the regulatory mechanisms governing plasmodesmata formation and function, emphasizing recent discoveries.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of plasmodesmata architecture, transport, and molecular components.
  • Analysis of recent findings on signaling pathways influencing plasmodesmata regulation.

Main Results:

  • Plasmodesmata are complex channels essential for plant cell-to-cell transport and signaling.
  • Regulation of plasmodesmata is influenced not only by local factors but also by broader cellular homeostasis signals.

Conclusions:

  • Plasmodesmata are dynamic structures whose formation and function are intricately regulated by diverse cellular signals.
  • Emerging evidence highlights the sensitivity of plasmodesmata to signals from organelle-nucleus and organelle-organelle communication pathways, impacting gene expression.