Research Progress on Regulatory Mechanisms of Conical Cell Morphogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana

Flowering plants are universally adorned with conical epidermal cells on their petals, which play a pivotal role in their function. They modulate the petal microenvironment by regulating wetting and temperature homeostasis and enhance pollinator attraction through tactile signaling. Despite their ecological and physiological significance, the molecular mechanisms that regulate the development of their distinct conical shape remain largely unknown. This review synthesizes recent advances in Arabidopsis thaliana (A. thaliana) research to elucidate the regulatory network governing conical cell morphogenesis. We summarize the recently established live confocal imaging approach for investigating conical cell morphogenesis and the core regulatory pathways elucidated thus far: the spatiotemporal orchestration of the cortical microtubule arrays, governed by the PP2A-KATANIN and ANGUSTIFOLIA-ROS modules. Furthermore, auxin-mediated cell wall acidification also plays a critical role in conical cell morphogenesis. Building upon these established regulatory modules, integrating computational modeling and uncovering new regulatory components in future research will profoundly enhance the value of conical cells as a system for studying plant cell morphogenesis. This will enable researchers to decipher the intricate biochemical signaling mechanisms that act in concert to orchestrate plant cell morphogenesis.