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Signals, Motors, Morphogenesis ‐the Cytoskeleton in Plant Development 1
Author(s) -
Nick P.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
plant biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.871
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1438-8677
pISSN - 1435-8603
DOI - 10.1111/j.1438-8677.1999.tb00240.x
Subject(s) - cytoskeleton , biology , microtubule , microbiology and biotechnology , morphogenesis , actin , microfilament , actin cytoskeleton , genetics , cell , gene
Plant shape can adapt to a changing environment. This requires a structure that (1) must be highly dynamic, (2) can respond to a range of signals, and (3) can control cellular morphogenesis. The cytoskeleton, microtubules, actin microfi‐laments, and cytoskeletal motors meets these requirements, and plants have evolved specific cytoskeletal arrays consisting of both microtubules and microfilaments that can link signal transduction to cellular morphogenesis: cortical microtubules, preprophase band, phragmoplast on the microtubular side, transvacuolar microfilament bundles, and phragmosome on the actin side. These cytoskeletal arrays are reviewed with special focus on the signal responses of higher plants. The signal‐triggered dynamic response of the cytoskeleton must be based on spatial cues that organize assembly and disassembly of tu‐bulin and actin. In this context the great morphogenetic potential of cytoskeletal motors is discussed. The review closes with an outlook on new methodological approaches to the problem of signal‐triggered morphogenesis.