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Updated: May 17, 2026
05:54
Confocal Microscopy Analysis of Protein Sorting to Plasmodesmata in Nicotiana benthamiana
Published on: November 1, 2024
Cell-to-cell communication via plasmodesmata in vascular plants
Iris Sevilem1, Shunsuke Miyashima, Ykä Helariutta
1Department of Bio and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Cell Adhesion & Migration
|October 19, 2012
Summary
Plant cell communication relies on symplastic transport via plasmodesmata. The icals3m system in Arabidopsis offers a new tool to study molecules moving through these channels, advancing our understanding of plant development.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Cell-to-cell signaling is crucial for plant development, growth, and patterning.
- Symplastic transport, mediated by plasmodesmata, allows direct cytoplasmic connections between plant cells.
- The precise molecules and regulatory networks governing symplastic signaling remain incompletely understood.
Discussion:
- Plasmodesmata aperture is dynamically regulated, with callose turnover being a key mechanism.
- The icals3m inducible vector system in Arabidopsis allows for controlled callose deposition at plasmodesmata.
- This system enables spatial and temporal manipulation of plasmodesmata permeability.
Key Insights:
- The icals3m system provides a powerful tool for investigating symplastic transport in plants.
- It facilitates global analyses of mobile signals and regulatory networks dependent on symplastic signaling.
- Understanding plasmodesmata regulation is key to deciphering complex plant communication.
Outlook:
- Future research can leverage the icals3m system to identify novel mobile signals and their roles in plant development.
- This approach can unravel intricate regulatory networks underlying symplastic communication.
- Applications extend to understanding plant responses to environmental cues and disease resistance.
Related Concept Videos
02:32Plasmodesmata
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.
01:20Plasmodesmata
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...
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...
01:19Contact-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
In animal cells, gap junctions are formed...
01:14Cell Adhesion in Plants
Plants have rigid cell walls that are made up of cell wall polysaccharides that mediate cell-cell adhesion. The primary cell walls of plants consist of two independent and interacting polysaccharide networks: a pectin matrix that embeds the second network comprising cellulose and hemicelluloses.
Pectins are complex heteropolymers mainly composed of negatively-charged α-D-glucopyranosyl uronic acid and some neutral glycosyl residues such as α-L-rhamnopyranose, α-L-arabinofuranose, and...
Pectins are complex heteropolymers mainly composed of negatively-charged α-D-glucopyranosyl uronic acid and some neutral glycosyl residues such as α-L-rhamnopyranose, α-L-arabinofuranose, and...
01:46The 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...
02:12Short-distance Transport of Resources
Short-distance transport refers to transport that occurs over a distance of just 2-3 cells, crossing the plasma membrane in the process. Small uncharged molecules, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water, can diffuse across the plasma membrane on their own. In contrast, ions and larger molecules require the assistance of transport proteins due to their charge or size. Transport across membranes also occurs within individual cells, playing a variety of essential roles for the plant as a whole.