Cellular coordination controlling organ separation and surface integrity in plants

• Published in: BMB reports Vol. 51; no. 7; pp. 317 - 318
• Main Authors: Lee, Yuree, Kwak, June M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 생화학분자생물학회 31-07-2018
• Subjects: Lignin molecular brace; Reactive oxygen species; Cell wall processing; Abscission
• ISSN: 1976-6696; 1976-670X

Plants are unable to relocate themselves to a more favorable location and thus have to deal with developmental programs and environmental cues wherever they happen to be. It is yet largely unknown how plant cells coordinate cellular activities and architectures to accomplish developmental processes and respond to environmental changes. By identifying and establishing a new cellular model system, we have discovered that two neighboring cell types in the abscission zone (AZ) of Arabidopsis flowers coordinate their activities to ensure a precise "cut" through a highly restricted area of plant tissue to bring about organ separation. From this perspective, we further discuss the essence of cellular coordination in AZ, the key molecules controlling the organ separation, and relevant implications. [BMB Reports: Perspective 2018; 51(7): 317-318]