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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 11, 2026

A Robotic Platform for High-throughput Protoplast Isolation and Transformation
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Cell-to-cell connectivity: a future target for crop improvement.

Tina B Schreier1, Christian Paolo Balahadia2, Florence Danila2

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK.

Journal of Experimental Botany
|November 11, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Enhancing plant cell-to-cell connectivity through plasmodesmata (PD) engineering can boost crop productivity and resilience. This review highlights PD

Keywords:
C4 photosynthesisCO2-concentrating mechanismcrop improvementmesophyll-bundle sheath cell interfaceplasmodesmatasymplastic transport

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Area of Science:

  • Plant Biology
  • Crop Science
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Crop productivity and resilience face challenges from climate change and disease.
  • Plasmodesmata (PD) are vital for plant growth, mediating cell-to-cell communication.
  • PD remain underutilized as targets for crop improvement strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of plasmodesmata in C4 photosynthesis for enhancing crop productivity.
  • To identify potential gene targets and biotechnological tools for engineering PD connectivity.
  • To explore strategies for improving crop resilience through enhanced cell-to-cell communication.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on C4 photosynthesis and plasmodesmata.
  • Analysis of the importance of mesophyll-bundle sheath cell connectivity in C4 plants.
  • Discussion of gene targets and biotechnological tools for PD manipulation.

Main Results:

  • Enhanced PD frequency at the mesophyll-bundle sheath interface is crucial for C4 Kranz anatomy and CO2 concentration.
  • Engineering PD connectivity is a promising strategy for improving C4 photosynthesis in C3 crops.
  • Potential gene targets and advanced biotechnological tools for PD manipulation are identified.

Conclusions:

  • Engineering plasmodesmata connectivity offers a novel approach to enhance crop productivity and resilience.
  • Further research is needed to discover new targets regulating PD formation and function.
  • Biotechnological advancements facilitate the manipulation of PD for crop improvement.