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Cell polarity: compassing cell division and differentiation in plants
1Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
Current Opinion in Plant Biology
|June 30, 2018
Summary
Plant protein polarization guides cell growth and division. Differential protein mobility influences cell fate and differentiation, impacting cell wall architecture during development.
Area of Science:
- Plant cell biology
- Developmental biology
- Molecular plant science
Background:
- Protein polarization is crucial for directional cell growth, morphogenesis, division, and differentiation in plants.
- Asymmetric protein dynamics are observed in vivo, influenced by diffusion, interactions, and cell wall connections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of protein dynamics in regulating asymmetric cell division and differentiation.
- To discuss mechanisms of polarized signaling in cell wall modification during specialized cell differentiation.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of in vivo protein dynamics in plant cells.
- Review of mechanisms regulating cell wall biosynthesis, degradation, and modification.
Main Results:
- Differential mobility of polarized proteins contributes to cell asymmetry.
- Polarity proteins and their dynamics may regulate division planes independently of the preprophase band (PPB).
- Polarized signaling underlies regional cell wall changes during differentiation of root endodermal and leaf epidermal guard cells.
Conclusions:
- Asymmetric protein dynamics offer a regulatory mechanism for cell division and differentiation.
- Polarity proteins may influence phragmoplast positioning or spindle alignment via microtubule-organizing centers (MTOCs).
- Understanding polarized signaling is key to comprehending specialized cell differentiation and cell wall development.
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