Mechanical feedback-loop regulation of morphogenesis in plants

Abstract

Morphogenesis is a highly controlled biological process that is crucial for organisms to develop cells and organs of a particular shape. Plants have the remarkable ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions, despite being sessile organisms with their cells affixed to each other by their cell wall. It is therefore evident that morphogenesis in plants requires the existence of robust sensing machineries at different scales. In this Review, I provide an overview on how mechanical forces are generated, sensed and transduced in plant cells. I then focus on how such forces regulate growth and form of plant cells and tissues.

Molecular Targets and Biological Functions of cAMP Signaling in Arabidopsis

“…Thus, cellular cAMP levels may have profound effects for the proper functionality of plants, which is evident by the results discussed above. Many biologic processes in plants employ feedback-loop regulation to maintain homeostasis or dynamic equilibrium, including hormone metabolism, morphogenesis, and photosynthesis [ 195 , 216 , 217 , 218 ], which obviously warrant an optimal outcome of functions. In animals, it was shown that initially higher levels of cAMP promote cell survival and slow down retinal degeneration, but elevated cAMP levels may ultimately become toxic [ 200 ]; additionally, cAMP elevation was found to improve the signal-to-noise ratio in amphibian rod photoreceptors during the sensory transduction of the visual system [ 219 ].…”

Cytoskeletal regulation of primary plant cell wall assembly

“…They proposed that these expand both in diameter and spacing upon deesterification, leading to cell growth and shape formation. Oddly, these nanofilaments were not observed in the periclinal walls of the same cells despite the physical continuity between anticlinal and periclinal walls and although the latter are generally considered to be crucial in pavement-cell morphogenesis [54][55][56] . Alternative explanations for the patchy pattern of pectin label in the anticlinal walls, such as nano-wrinkles or locally heterogeneous distribution because of the presence of well-documented vertical cellulose microfibrils 57,58 , were not further explored and, therefore, true cause-effect relationships remain to be explored.…”

“…Alternative explanations for the patchy pattern of pectin label in the anticlinal walls, such as nano-wrinkles or locally heterogeneous distribution because of the presence of well-documented vertical cellulose microfibrils 57,58 , were not further explored and, therefore, true cause-effect relationships remain to be explored. The lack of consensus around the fundamental underpinnings of plant cell growth points to the need to address basic questions with regards to cell wall biochemistry and cell differentiation 55,56 .…”

“…Although the cytoskeleton is key in the mechano-chemical machinery delivering wall building and modifying materials, inversely, Review it also perceives changes in the cell wall, thus forming regulatory feedback loops. By controlling cell division and growth, these feedback loops are the basis of cell functioning, the robust control of organ size and shape, integrity maintenance and defense mechanisms 56,117,118 . Local and global scale mechanical signals and changes in the cell geometry are closely related cues that can transmit through the continuum.…”

Defects in Cell Wall Differentiation of the Arabidopsis Mutant rol1-2 Is Dependent on Cyclin-Dependent Kinase CDK8

“…RG II, on the other hand, has a α 1,4-linked Gal backbone, has structurally complex side chains composed of a number of different sugars. It influences the mechanical properties of cell walls through ionic interactions with boron which help to crosslink RG II [ 4 , 5 ].…”