Plasmodesmata: composition, structure and trafficking

Embryo sac development relies on symplastic signals from ovular integuments in Arabidopsis

Ovules are female reproductive organs of angiosperms, consisting of sporophytic integuments surrounding female gametophytes, that is, embryo sacs. Synchronization between integument growth and embryo sac development requires intracellular communication. However, signaling routes through which cells of the two generations communicate are unclear. We report that symplastic signals through plasmodesmata (PDs) of integuments are critical for the development of female gametophytes. Genetic interferences of PD biogenesis either by functional loss of CHOLINE TRANSPORTER-LIKE1 (CTL1) or by integument-specific expression of a mutated CALLOSE SYNTHASE 3 (cals3m) compromised PD formation in integuments and reduced fertility. Close examination of pINO:cals3m or ctl1 ovules indicated that female gametophytic development was either arrested at various stages after the formation of functional megaspores. In both cases, defective ovules could not attract pollen tubes, leading to the failure of fertilization. Results presented here demonstrate a key role of the symplastic route in sporophytic control of female gametophytic development.

Plants have neither synapses nor a nervous system

The alleged existence of so-called synapses or equivalent structures in plants provided the basis for the concept of Plant Neurobiology (Baluska et al., 2005; Brenner et al., 2006). More recently, supporters of this controversial theory have even speculated that the phloem acts as a kind of nerve system serving long distance electrical signaling (Mediano et al., 2021; Baluska and Mancuso, 2021). In this review we have critically examined the literature cited by these authors and arrive at a completely different conclusion. Plants do not have any structures resembling animal synapses (neither chemical nor electrical). While they certainly do have complex cell contacts and signaling mechanisms, none of these structures provides a basis for neuronal-like synaptic transmission. Likewise, the phloem is undoubtedly a conduit for the propagation of electrical signaling, but the characteristics of this process are in no way comparable to the events underlying information processing in neuronal networks. This has obvious implications in regard to far-going speculations into the realms of cognition, sentience and consciousness.

Apoplasmic barrier in the extrafloral nectary of Citharexylum myrianthum (Verbenaceae)

The cytological changes underlying the formation of an apoplasmic barrier in the multi-layered extrafloral nectaries of Citharexylum myrianthum are compatible with the synthesis, transport and deposition of suberin. In terms of ontogenesis and function, the intermediate layers of these nectaries are homologous with the stalks of nectar-secreting trichomes. Anticlinal cell wall impregnations are common in trichomatic nectaries and their functions as endodermis-like barriers have been discussed because of possible direct effects on the nectary physiology, mainly in the nectar secretion and resorption. However, the cytological events linked to nectary wall impregnations remain little explored. This study documents the ontogenesis and the fine structure of the EFN cells, and cytological events linked to the wall impregnations of multi-layered extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) in Citharexylum myrianthum Cham. (Verbenaceae). EFNs are patelliform, and differentiated into (a) a multicellular foot, which is compound in structure and vascularised with phloem strands, (b) a bi-layered intermediate region with thickened cell walls and (c) a single-layered secretory region with palisade-like cells. EFNs are protodermal in origin, starting with a single protodermal cell and ending with the complex, multi-layered structure. The cell wall impregnations first appear in the very young EFN and increase towards maturity. Lipid patches (assumed to be suberin) are deposited on the inner faces of the primary walls, first along the anticlinal walls and then extend to the periclinal walls. On both walls, plasmodesmata remain apparently intact during the maturation of the EFNs. In the peripheral cytoplasm there are abundant polymorphic plastids, well-developed Golgi bodies often close to rough endoplasmic reticulum profiles, mitochondria and polyribosomes. Cytological events linked to the wall impregnations are consistent with suberin synthesis, transport and deposition. Our findings offer new insights into the structure-properties of specialised nectary cell walls and so should contribute to our knowledge of the physiological and protective roles of this structure in nectar glands.

Plasmodesmata-Involved Battle Against Pathogens and Potential Strategies for Strengthening Hosts

Plasmodesmata (PD) are membrane-lined pores that connect adjacent cells to mediate symplastic communication in plants. These intercellular channels enable cell-to-cell trafficking of various molecules essential for plant development and stress responses, but they can also be utilized by pathogens to facilitate their infection of hosts. Some pathogens or their effectors are able to spread through the PD by modifying their permeability. Yet plants have developed various corresponding defense mechanisms, including the regulation of PD to impede the spread of invading pathogens. In this review, we aim to illuminate the various roles of PD in the interactions between pathogens and plants during the infection process. We summarize the pathogenic infections involving PD and how the PD could be modified by pathogens or hosts. Furthermore, we propose several hypothesized and promising strategies for enhancing the disease resistance of host plants by the appropriate modulation of callose deposition and plasmodesmal permeability based on current knowledge.

Diverse regulation of plasmodesmal architecture facilitates adaptation to phloem translocation

The long-distance translocation of nutrients and mobile molecules between different terminals is necessary for plant growth and development. Plasmodesmata-mediated symplastic trafficking plays an important role in accomplishing this task. To facilitate intercellular transport, plants have evolved diverse plasmodesmata with distinct internal architecture at different cell-cell interfaces along the trafficking route. Correspondingly, different underlying mechanisms for regulating plasmodesmal structures have been gradually revealed. In this review, we highlight recent studies on various plasmodesmal architectures, as well as relevant regulators of their de novo formation and transition, responsible for phloem loading, transport, and unloading specifically. We also discuss the interesting but unaddressed questions relating to, and potential studies on, the adaptation of functional plasmodesmal structures.

Plasmodesmata-Related Structural and Functional Proteins: The Long Sought-After Secrets of a Cytoplasmic Channel in Plant Cell Walls

Plant cells are separated by cellulose cell walls that impede direct cell-to-cell contact. In order to facilitate intercellular communication, plant cells develop unique cell-wall-spanning structures termed plasmodesmata (PD). PD are membranous channels that link the cytoplasm, plasma membranes, and endoplasmic reticulum of adjacent cells to provide cytoplasmic and membrane continuity for molecular trafficking. PD play important roles for the development and physiology of all plants. The structure and function of PD in the plant cell walls are highly dynamic and tightly regulated. Despite their importance, plasmodesmata are among the few plant cell organelles that remain poorly understood. The molecular properties of PD seem largely elusive or speculative. In this review, we firstly describe the general PD structure and its protein composition. We then discuss the recent progress in identification and characterization of PD-associated plant cell-wall proteins that regulate PD function, with particular emphasis on callose metabolizing and binding proteins, and protein kinases targeted to and around PD.

Cyclosis-mediated intercellular transmission of photosynthetic metabolites in Chara revealed with chlorophyll microfluorometry

Symplastic interconnections of plant cells via perforations in adjoining cell walls (plasmodesmata) enable long-distance transport of photoassimilates and signaling substances required for growth and development. The pathways and features of intercellular movement of assimilates are often examined with fluorescent tracers whose molecular dimensions are similar to natural metabolites produced in photosynthesis. Chlorophyll fluorescence was recently found to be a sensitive noninvasive indicator of long-distance intracellular transport of physiologically produced photometabolites in characean internodes. The present work shows that the chlorophyll microfluorometry has a potential for studying the cell-to-cell transport of reducing substances released by local illumination of one internode and detected as the fluorescence increase in the neighbor internode. The method provides temporal resolution in the time frame of seconds and can be used to evaluate permeability of plasmodesmata to natural components released by illuminated chloroplasts. The results show that approximately one third of the amount of photometabolites released into the streaming cytoplasm during a 30-s pulse of local light permeates across the nodal complex with the characteristic time of ~ 10 s. The intercellular transport was highly sensitive to moderate elevations of osmolarity in the bath solution (150 mM sorbitol), which contrasts to the view that only transnodal gradients in osmolarity (and internal hydrostatic pressure) have an appreciable influence on plasmodesmal conductance. The inhibition of cell-to-cell transport was reversible and specific; the sorbitol addition had no influence on photosynthetic electron transport and the velocity of cytoplasmic streaming. The conductance of transcellular pores increased in the presence of the actin inhibitor cytochalasin D but the cell-to-cell transport was eventually suppressed due to the deceleration and cessation of cytoplasmic streaming. The results show that the permeability of plasmodesmata to low-molecular photometabolites is subject to upregulation and downregulation.

A roadmap towards a functional paradigm for learning & memory in plants

In plants, the acquisition, processing and storage of empirical information can result in the modification of their behavior according to the nature of the stimulus, and yet this area of research remained relatively understudied until recently. As the body of evidence supporting the inclusion of plants among the higher organisms demonstrating the adaptations to accomplish these tasks keeps increasing, the resistance by traditional botanists and agricultural scientists, who were at first cautious in allowing the application of animal models onto plant physiology and development, subsides. However, the debate retains much of its heat, a good part of it originating from the controversial use of nervous system terms to describe plant processes. By focusing on the latest findings on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the well established processes of Learning and Memory, recognizing what has been accomplished and what remains to be explored, and without seeking to bootstrap neuronal characteristics where none are to be found, a roadmap guiding towards a comprehensive paradigm for Learning and Memory in plants begins to emerge. Meanwhile the applications of the new field of Plant Gnosophysiology look as promising as ever.

Arabidopsis thaliana Acyl-CoA-binding protein ACBP6 interacts with plasmodesmata-located protein PDLP8

In Arabidopsis thaliana, six acyl-CoA-binding proteins (ACBPs), designated as AtACBP1 to AtACBP6, have been identified to function in various events related to plant stress and development. The 10-kDa AtACBP6 is the smallest in this protein family, and recombinant AtACBP6 interacts with lipids in vitro by binding to acyl-CoA esters and phosphatidylcholine. Using anti-AtACBP6 antibodies in immunoelectron microscopy, we have localized AtACBP6 in the Arabidopsis phloem. The detection of immunogold grains in the plasmodesmata suggested that AtACBP6 could move from the companion cells to the sieve elements via the plasmodesmata. As AtACBP6 has been identified in a membrane-based interactome analysis to be a potential protein partner of Plasmodesmata-Localized Protein, PDLP8, AtACBP6-PDLP8 interaction was investigated herein utilizing isothermal titration calorimetry, as well as pull-down and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays (BiFC). Notably, BiFC data revealed that AtACBP6-PDLP8 interaction occurred at the plasma membrane, which was unexpected as AtACBP6 has been previously identified in the cytosol. AtACBP6 expression was generally higher than PDLP8 in β-glucuronidase (GUS) assays on transgenic Arabidopsis transformed with AtACBP6 or PDLP8 promoter-driven GUS, consistent with qRT-PCR and microarray results. Furthermore, western blot analysis using anti-AtACBP6 antibodies showed a reduction in AtACBP6 expression in the pdlp8 T-DNA insertional mutant, suggesting that PDLP8 may possibly influence AtACBP6 accumulation in the sieve elements, probably in the plasmodesmata, where PDLP8 is confined and to where AtACBP6 has been immunodetected.

Arabidopsis acyl-CoA-binding protein ACBP6 localizes in the phloem and affects jasmonate composition

Arabidopsis thaliana ACYL-COA-BINDING PROTEIN6 (AtACBP6) encodes a cytosolic 10-kDa AtACBP. It confers freezing tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis, possibly by its interaction with lipids as indicated by the binding of acyl-CoA esters and phosphatidylcholine to recombinant AtACBP6. Herein, transgenic Arabidopsis transformed with an AtACBP6 promoter-driven β-glucuronidase (GUS) construct exhibited strong GUS activity in the vascular tissues. Immunoelectron microscopy using anti-AtACBP6 antibodies showed AtACBP6 localization in the phloem especially in the companion cells and sieve elements. Also, the presence of gold grains in the plasmodesmata indicated its potential role in systemic trafficking. The AtACBP6 protein, but not its mRNA, was found in phloem exudate of wild-type Arabidopsis. Fatty acid profiling using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed an increase in the jasmonic acid (JA) precursor, 12-oxo-cis,cis-10,15-phytodienoic acid (cis-OPDA), and a reduction in JA and/or its derivatives in acbp6 phloem exudates in comparison to the wild type. Quantitative real-time PCR showed down-regulation of COMATOSE (CTS) in acbp6 rosettes suggesting that AtACBP6 affects CTS function. AtACBP6 appeared to affect the content of JA and/or its derivatives in the sieve tubes, which is consistent with its role in pathogen-defense and in its wound-inducibility of AtACBP6pro::GUS. Taken together, our results suggest the involvement of AtACBP6 in JA-biosynthesis in Arabidopsis phloem tissues.

Drosophila cells use nanotube-like structures to transfer dsRNA and RNAi machinery between cells

Tunnelling nanotubes and cytonemes function as highways for the transport of organelles, cytosolic and membrane-bound molecules, and pathogens between cells. During viral infection in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, a systemic RNAi antiviral response is established presumably through the transport of a silencing signal from one cell to another via an unknown mechanism. Because of their role in cell-cell communication, we investigated whether nanotube-like structures could be a mediator of the silencing signal. Here, we describe for the first time in the context of a viral infection the presence of nanotube-like structures in different Drosophila cell types. These tubules, made of actin and tubulin, were associated with components of the RNAi machinery, including Argonaute 2, double-stranded RNA, and CG4572. Moreover, they were more abundant during viral, but not bacterial, infection. Super resolution structured illumination microscopy showed that Argonaute 2 and tubulin reside inside the tubules. We propose that nanotube-like structures are one of the mechanisms by which Argonaute 2, as part of the antiviral RNAi machinery, is transported between infected and non-infected cells to trigger systemic antiviral immunity in Drosophila.

Plasmodesmata: channels for viruses on the move

The symplastic communication network established by plasmodesmata (PD) and connected phloem provides an essential pathway for spatiotemporal intercellular signaling in plant development but is also exploited by viruses for moving their genomes between cells in order to infect plants systemically. Virus movement depends on virus-encoded movement proteins (MPs) that target PD and therefore represent important keys to the cellular mechanisms underlying the intercellular trafficking of viruses and other macromolecules. Viruses and their MPs have evolved different mechanisms for intracellular transport and interaction with PD. Some viruses move from cell to cell by interacting with cellular mechanisms that control the size exclusion limit of PD whereas other viruses alter the PD architecture through assembly of specialized transport structures within the channel. Some viruses move between cells in the form of assembled virus particles whereas other viruses may interact with nucleic acid transport mechanisms to move their genomes in a non-encapsidated form. Moreover, whereas several viruses rely on the secretory pathway to target PD, other viruses interact with the cortical endoplasmic reticulum and associated cytoskeleton to spread infection. This chapter provides an introduction into viruses and their role in studying the diverse cellular mechanisms involved in intercellular PD-mediated macromolecular trafficking.

Mapping symplasmic fields at the shoot apical meristem using iontophoresis and membrane potential measurements

Microinjections of fluorescent dyes have revealed that the shoot apical meristem (SAM) is dynamically partitioned into symplasmic fields (SFs), implying that plasmodesmata (Pd) are held shut at specific locations in the proliferating cellular matrix. The SFs are integrated into a coherent morphogenetic unit by exchange of morphogens and transcription factors via gating Pd between adjacent SFs, and by ligand-receptor interactions that operate across the extracellular space. We describe a method for the real-time mapping of SF in the SAM by iontophoresis and membrane potential measurements.

A moving view: subcellular trafficking processes in pattern recognition receptor-triggered plant immunity

A significant challenge for plants is to induce localized defense responses at sites of pathogen attack. Therefore, host subcellular trafficking processes enable accumulation and exchange of defense compounds, which contributes to the plant on-site defenses in response to pathogen perception. This review summarizes our current understanding of the transport processes that facilitate immunity, the significance of which is highlighted by pathogens reprogramming membrane trafficking through host cell translocated effectors. Prominent immune-related cargos of plant trafficking pathways are the pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), which must be present at the plasma membrane to sense microbes in the apoplast. We focus on the dynamic localization of the FLS2 receptor and discuss the pathways that regulate receptor transport within the cell and their link to FLS2-mediated immunity. One emerging theme is that ligand-induced late endocytic trafficking is conserved across different PRR protein families as well as across different plant species.

Live cell imaging reveals extensive intracellular cytoplasmic colonization of banana by normally non-cultivable endophytic bacteria

It is generally believed that endophytic microorganisms are intercellular inhabitants present in either cultivable or non-cultivable form primarily as root colonizers. The objective of this study was to determine whether the actively mobile micro-particles observed in the intracellular matrix of fresh tissue sections of banana included endophytic bacteria. Tissue sections (50-100 µm) from apical leaf sheaths of surface-disinfected suckers (cv. Grand Naine) displayed 'Brownian motion'-reminiscent abundant motile micro-particles under bright-field and phase-contrast (×1000), which appeared similar in size and motility to the pure cultures of endophytes previously isolated from banana. Observations on callus, embryonic cells and protoplasts with intact cell wall/plasma membrane confirmed their cytoplasmic nature. The motility of these entities reduced or ceased upon tissue fixation or staining with safranin/crystal violet (0.5 % w/v), but continued uninterrupted following treatment with actin-disrupting drugs, ruling out the possibility of micro-organelles like peroxisomes. Staining with 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) confirmed them to be live bacteria with similar observations after dilute safranin (0.005 %) treatment. Tissue staining with SYTO-9 coupled with epi-fluorescence or confocal laser scanning microscopy showed bacterial colonization along the peri-space between cell wall and plasma membrane initially. SYTO-9 counterstaining on TTC- or safranin-treated tissue and those subjected to enzymatic permeabilization revealed the cytoplasmic bacteria. These included organisms moving freely in the cytoplasm and those adhering to the nuclear envelope or vacuoles and the intravacuolar colonizers. The observations appeared ubiquitous to different genomes and genotypes of banana. Plating the tissue homogenate on nutrient media seldom yielded colony growth. This study, supported largely by live cell video-imaging, demonstrates enormous intracellular colonization in bananas by normally non-cultivable endophytic bacteria in two niches, namely cytoplasmic and periplasmic, designated as 'Cytobacts' and 'Peribacts', respectively. The integral intracellular association with their clonal perpetuation suggests a mutualistic relationship between endophytes and the host.

Gated communities: apoplastic and symplastic signals converge at plasmodesmata to control cell fates

Due to their rigid cell walls, plant cells can only communicate with each other either by symplastic transport of diverse non-cell autonomous signalling molecules via plasmodesmata (PDs) or by endo- and exocytosis of signalling molecules via the extracellular apoplastic space. PDs are plasma membrane-lined channels spanning the cell wall between neighbouring cells, allowing the exchange of molecules by symplastic movement through them. This review focuses on developmental decisions that are coordinated by short- and long-distance communication of cells via PDs. We propose a model combining both apoplastic and symplastic signalling events via secreted ligands and their PD-localized receptor kinases which gate the symplastic transport of information molecules through PDs. Cell communities can thus coordinate cell-fate decisions non-cell autonomously by connecting or disconnecting symplastic subdomains. Here we concentrate on the establishment of such subdomains in the plant's primary meristems that serve to maintain long-lasting stem cell populations in the shoot and root apical meristems, and discuss how apoplastic signalling via transport of information molecules through PDs is integrated with symplastic feedback signalling events.

The cytoskeleton in plasmodesmata: a role in intercellular transport?

Actin and myosin are components of the plant cell cytoskeleton that extend from cell to cell through plasmodesmata (PD), but it is unclear how they are organized within the cytoplasmic sleeve or how they might behave as regulatory elements. Early work used antibodies to locate actin and myosin to PD, at the electron microscope level, or to pitfields (aggregations of PD in the cell wall), using immunofluorescence techniques. More recently, a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged plant myosin VIII was located specifically at PD-rich pitfields in cell walls. Application of actin or myosin disrupters may modify the conformation of PD and alter rates of cell-cell transport, providing evidence for a role in regulating PD permeability. Intriguingly, there is now evidence of differentiation between types of PD, some of which open in response to both actin and myosin disrupters, and others which are unaffected by actin disrupters or which close in response to myosin inhibitors. Viruses also interact with elements of the cytoskeleton for both intracellular and intercellular transport. The precise function of the cytoskeleton in PD may change during cell development, and may not be identical in all tissue types, or even in all PD within a single cell. Nevertheless, it is likely that actin- and myosin-associated proteins play a key role in regulating cell-cell transport, by interacting with cargo and loading it into PD, and may underlie the capacity for one-way transport across particular cell and tissue boundaries.

Dormancy cycling at the shoot apical meristem: transitioning between self-organization and self-arrest

To survive winter deciduous perennials of the temperate zones cease growth and acquire a cold-acclimated state. Timing of these events is guided by sensory systems in the leaves that register critical alterations in photoperiod. Growth cessation on its own is not sufficient to develop adequate freezing tolerance, which requires entry of the shoot apical meristem (SAM) into dormancy. To fully appreciate perennial dormancy as a precondition for cold acclimation it is necessary to assess how it is brought about in a timely fashion, what the nature of it is, and how it is released. Short day (SD) exposure results in growth cessation, bud set, dormancy establishment at the SAM, and a moderate to high level of freezing tolerance. Subsequent chilling releases the SAM from dormancy and enhances freezing tolerance further. Recent investigations indicate that dormancy is a state of self-arrest that is brought about by an enzyme-based system which disrupts the intrinsic signal network of the SAM. Release from this state requires a complimentary enzyme-based system that is preformed during SD and mobilized by chilling. These findings are in agreement with the paradigm of dormancy cycling, which defines the seasonal alternations at the SAM as transitions between states of self-organization and self-arrest. The success of this survival strategy is based on the adequate scheduling of a complex array of events. The appreciation is growing that this involves signal cascades that are, mutatis mutandis, also recruited in floral evocation in many annuals, including Arabidopsis. A heuristic model is presented of dormancy cycling at the SAM, which depicts crucial molecular and cellular events that drive the cycle.

Plasmodesmata during development: re-examination of the importance of primary, secondary, and branched plasmodesmata structure versus function

Plasmodesmata (PD) structure and function vary temporally and spatially during all stages of plant development. PD that originate during, or post, cell division are designated as primary or secondary according to classical terminology. PD structure may be simple, twinned, or branched. Studies of PD during leaf, root, and embryo development have lead to the generalization that cells in less mature tissues contain predominantly simple PD. New quantitative analyses reveal that twinned and branched PD also occur in immature tissues. New data also highlight the versatility of viral movement proteins as tags for labeling PD in immature tissues as well as PD in mature tissues. A summary of the formation and function of primary, secondary, and branched PD during leaf, trichome, embryo, apical meristem, vascular cambium, and root development underscores the remarkable and indispensible plant-specific intercellular communication system that is mediated by PD.

Inhibitors of myosin, but not actin, alter transport through Tradescantia plasmodesmata

Actin and myosin are components of plasmodesmata, the cytoplasmic channels between plant cells, but their role in regulating these channels is unclear. Here, we investigated the role of myosin in regulating plasmodesmata in a well-studied, simple system comprising single filaments of cells which form stamen hairs in Tradescantia virginiana flowers. Effects of myosin inhibitors were assessed by analysing cell-to-cell movement of fluorescent tracers microinjected into treated cells. Incubation in the myosin inhibitor, 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM) or injection of anti-myosin antibodies increased cell-cell transport of fluorescent dextrans, while treatment with the myosin inhibitor N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) decreased cell-cell transport. Pretreatment with the callose synthesis inhibitor, deoxy-D: -glucose (DDG), enhanced transport induced by BDM treatment or injection of myosin antibodies but did not relieve NEM-induced reduction in transport. In contrast to the myosin inhibitors, cell-to-cell transport was unaffected by treatment with the actin polymerisation inhibitor, latrunculin B, after controlling for callose synthesis with DDG. Transport was increased following azide treatment, and reduced after injection of ATP, as in previous studies. We propose that myosin detachment from actin, induced by BDM, opens T. virginiana plasmodesmata whereas the firm attachment of myosin to actin, promoted by NEM, closes them.

Unusual electron-dense dome associates with compound plasmodesmata in the embryo-suspensor of genus Sedum (Crassulaceae)

Plasmodesmata ensure the continuity of cytoplasm between plant cells and play an important part in the intercellular communication and signal transduction. During the development of the suspensor of both Sedum acre L. and Sedum hispanicum L., changes in the ultrastructure of plasmodesmata and adjoining cytoplasm are observed. Numerous simple plasmodesmata are present in the inner wall of the two-celled embryo separating the basal cell from the apical cell. From the early-globular to the torpedo stage of embryo development, the part of the wall separating the basal cell from the first layer of the chalazal suspensor cells is perforated by unusual, compound plasmodesmata. The role and the sort of transport through these plasmodesmata are discussed.

Ultrastructural observations reveal the presence of channels between cork cells

The ultrastructure of phellem cells of Quercus suber L. (cork oak) and Calotropis procera (Ait) R. Br. were analyzed using electron transmission microscopy to determine the presence or absence of plasmodesmata (PD). Different types of Q. suber cork samples were studied: one year shoots; virgin cork (first periderm), reproduction cork (traumatic periderm), and wet cork. The channel structures of PD were found in all the samples crossing adjacent cell walls through the suberin layer of the secondary wall. Calotropis phellem also showed PD crossing the cell walls of adjacent cells but in fewer numbers compared to Q. suber. In one year stems of cork oak, it was possible to follow the physiologically active PD with ribosomic accumulation next to the aperture of the channel seen in the phellogen cells to the completely obstructed channels in the dead cells that characterize the phellem tissue.

Enhancing the release and plant uptake of PAHs with a water-soluble purine alkaloid

The effect of a common plant alkaloid, caffeine, on the release and plant uptake of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils was investigated. Cucurbita pepo (ssp. pepo cv. Gold Rush) was grown in PAH-spiked media in the presence and absence of caffeine. Solubility tests initially confirmed the ability of caffeine to dissolve PAHs mixtures of anthracene, phenanthrene, pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[ghi]perylene. Extraction experiments also highlighted its potential as a PAH-releasing agent from an aged soil. Phytoextraction from a low organic sand medium (f(OC)=0.056+/-0.03%) indicated a significant enhancement of pyrene uptake with three weeks daily watering with 500mgL(-1) caffeine solution. The average pyrene content of roots was 35.3 and 16.0microgg(-1), in caffeine and non-caffeine set-ups, respectively. In the shoots, the corresponding values were 3.60 and 1.67microgg(-1). Both showed more than twofold increase with caffeine. Caffeine also accumulated mainly in the leaves of the treated samples at 2800mgkg(-1) dry weight. Further tests with a 1-year aged soil (f(OC)=5.2+/-1%) containing a mixture of phenanthrene and pyrene yielded parallel results. However, lower PAH content in these samples were observed due to the stronger PAHs partitioning in aged-soil matrix. After four weeks of caffeine, phenanthrene in shoots and roots increased by one and a half and four times, respectively. The corresponding enhancements for pyrene were two and a half and three and a half times.

Plasmodesmata transport of GFP and GFP fusions requires little energy and transitions during leaf expansion

Plasmodesmata (Pd) are symplastic channels between neighboring plant cells and are key in plant cell-cell signaling. Viruses of proteins, nucleic acids, and a wide range of signaling macromolecules move across Pd. Protein transport Pd is regulated by development and biotic signals. Recent investigations utilizing the Arrhenius equation or Coefficient of conductivity showed that fundamental energetic measurements used to describe transport of proteins across membrane pores or the nuclear pore can also apply to protein movement across Pd. As leaves continue to expand, Pd transport of proteins declines which may result from changes in cell volume, Pd density or Pd structure.

Mutational analysis of PVX TGBp3 links subcellular accumulation and protein turnover

Potato virus X (PVX) TGBp3 is required for virus cell-to-cell transport, has an N-terminal transmembrane domain, and a C-terminal cytosolic domain. In the absence of virus infection TGBp3:GFP is seen in the cortical and perinuclear ER. In PVX infected cells the TGBp3:GFP fusion is also seen in the nucleoplasm indicating that events during PVX infection trigger entry into the nucleus. Mutational analysis failed to identify a nuclear targeting domain. Mutations inhibiting TGBp3 association with the ER and inhibiting virus movement did not block TGBp3:GFP in the nucleoplasm. A mutation disrupting the N-terminal transmembrane domain of TGBp3 caused the fusion to accumulate in the nucleus indicating that nuclear import is regulated by ER interactions. Tunicamycin, an ER-stress inducing chemical, caused lower levels of GFP and TGBp3:GFP to accumulate in virus infected protoplasts. MG115 and MG132 were used to demonstrate that wild-type and mutant TGBp3:GFP fusions were degraded by the 26S proteasome. These observations are consistent with an ER-associated protein degradation (ERAD) pathway suggesting that PVX TGBp3, similar to aberrant ER proteins, is translocated to the cytoplasm for degradation. Nuclear accumulation of mutant and wild-type TGBp3:GFP is independent of other PVX proteins and may be another feature of an ERAD pathway.

Plasmodesmata transport of GFP alone or fused to potato virus X TGBp1 is diffusion driven

Plasmodesmata (Pd) provide a pathway for exchanging various macromolecules between neighboring plant cells. Researchers routinely characterize the mobility of the green-fluorescent protein (GFP) and GFP fusions through Pd by calculating the proportion of sites in bombarded leaves which show fluorescence in multiple cell clusters (% movement). Here, the Arrhenius equation was used to describe the temperature dependence of GFP and GFP-TGBpl (potato virus X triple gene block protein1) movement, using % movement values, and to calculate the activation energy for protein transport. The resulting low activation energy indicates GFP and GFP-TGBp1 movement are diffusion driven. Furthermore, GFP movement is inversely proportional to the leaf surface area of expanding leaves. The increase in leaf area results mainly from cell expansion during the sink-source transition. The increasing cell size results in lower Pd density, which decreases the probability that a GFP attains an open Pd by diffusion. The decline in GFP movement as leaf area expands indicates that, in addition to GFP diffusion through Pd, attaining an open Pd by undirected diffusion might be limiting for Pd transport. In summary, this report provides a new quantitative method for studying Pd conductivity.

Plasmodesmata and intercellular transport of viral RNA

Cell-to-cell communication in plants involves the symplastic trafficking of informational protein and RNA macromolecules through cytoplasmic bridges in the plant cell wall known as plasmodesmata. Viruses exploit this route for the spread of infection and are used as a model to study the mechanisms by which macromolecules are targeted to the pore. Studies using tobacco mosaic virus have led to the identification of host components that participate in plasmodesmal targeting of viral RNA and movement protein.

Effects of brefeldin A on the localization of Tobamovirus movement protein and cell-to-cell movement of the virus

It has been demonstrated that the subcellular location of Tobamovirus movement protein (MP) which was fused with green fluorescent protein (MP:GFP) changed during the infection process. However, the intracellular route through which MP is transported and its biological meaning are still obscure. Treatment with brefeldin A (BFA), which disrupts ER-to-Golgi transport, inhibited the formation of irregularly shaped and filamentous structures of MP. In this condition, MP was still targeted to plasmodesmata in leaf cells. Furthermore, the viral cell-to-cell movement was not inhibited by BFA treatment. These data indicated that the targeting of viral replication complexes (VRCs) to plasmodesmata is mediated by a BFA-insensitive pathway and that the ER-to-Golgi transport pathway is not involved in viral intercellular movement.

Macromolecular Transport and Signaling Through Plasmodesmata

Plasmodesmata (Pd) are channels in the plant cell wall that in conjunction with associated phloem form an intercellular communication network that supports the cell-to-cell and long-distance trafficking of a wide spectrum of endogenous proteins and ribonucleoprotein complexes. The trafficking of such macromolecules is of importance in the orchestration of non-cell autonomous developmental and physiological processes. Plant viruses encode movement proteins (MPs) that subvert this communication network to facilitate the spread of infection. These viral proteins thus represent excellent experimental keys for exploring the mechanisms involved in intercellular trafficking and communication via Pd.

Plasmodesmata at the crossroads between development, dormancy, and defense

Plants are frequently exposed to environmental stress and organisms that seek to benefit from their autotrophic nature. To cope with these challenges plants have developed stress-resistance mechanisms, which involve sensing, activation of signal transduction cascades, changes in gene expression, and physiological adjustment. Exposure to one kind of stress often leads to cross-tolerance, that is, resistance to different kinds of stresses. The search for a common underlying mechanism concentrates mostly on changes in cellular physiology and gene expression. We focus on the cross-protective measures that are taken at the level above the single cell. We argue that the controlled alterations in symplasmic permeability that underlie development also play a role in survival and defense strategies. In development, most of the alterations are transient and dynamic, whereas the more persistent alterations function predominantly in dormancy and defense and are under the control of two key enzymes: 1,3-β-D-glucan synthase and 1,3-β-D-glucanase. 1,3-β-D-Glucan synthase functions in the narrowing or closing of plasmodesmata, whereas 1,3-β-D-glucanase counteracts this process. We propose that the closing of symplasmic paths constitutes an unspecific but effective early measure in adaptation and defense, which is accompanied by specific strategies tailored to the various challenges plants face.Key words: cross-adaptation, dormancy sphincter, 1,3-β-D-glucanase, 1,3-β-D-glucan synthase, meristem, overwintering, plasmodesmata, virus movement.

Engineering photoassimilate partitioning in tobacco plants improves growth and productivity and provides pathogen resistance

Expression of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes is part of the plant's natural defense response against pathogen attack. To study the in vivo role and function of the maize PRms protein, tobacco plants were transformed with the PRms cDNA under the control of the CaMV35S promoter. Transgenic tobacco plants grow faster and yield more leaf and seed biomass. By using immunoelectron microscopy, we found that PRms is associated with plasmodesmata in leaves of transgenic tobacco plants. Furthermore, we found that activation of sucrose efflux from photosynthetically active leaves and accumulation of higher levels of sucrose in leaf tissues are characteristic features of PRms tobacco plants. This, in turn, results in the constitutive expression of endogenous tobacco PR genes and resistance to phytopathogens. The expression of multiple plant defense genes can then be achieved by using a single transgene. These data provide a new approach for engineering disease-resistant plants while simultaneously improving plant yield and productivity through the modification of photoassimilate partitioning.

Plasmodesmata and plant cytoskeleton

Plant cell-to-cell communication is achieved by membranous conduits called plasmodesmata, which bridge the cytoplasm of neighboring cells. A growing body of immunolocalization data shows an association of the cytoskeleton machinery with plasmodesmata. The role of the cytoskeleton in the plasmodesmata-mediated transport has been well documented for virus movement. Because viruses are known to exploit existing host pathways and because the cytoskeleton is involved in intracellular trafficking, the cytoskeleton is thought to drive and target macromolecules to plasmodesmata. It is this link between plasmodesmata and the cytoskeleton that will be described here.

Primary and secondary plasmodesmata: structure, origin, and functioning

In the multicellular organisms of higher plants, plasmodesmata provide pathways for intimate symplasmic communication between neighboring cells. The arguments summarized in the present review demonstrate that plasmodesmata are diverse and highly dynamic structures. Differences in the plasmodesmal origin and modifications of the plasmodesmal structure and functioning at the various cell interfaces are the basic means which give rise to a complicated and flexibile symplasmic network. This complex communication system is discussed to serve a significant role in the coordinated development and in the concerted physiological functioning of the cells within the plant tissues, organs, and organisms.

Cytoplasmic acidification with butyric acid does not alter the ionic conductivity of plasmodesmata

The effect of lowering cytoplasmic pH on the ionic conductivity of higher-plant plasmodesmata was investigated with corn (Zea mays L. cv. Black Mexican Sweet) suspension culture cells. Exposure to butyric acid decreased the cytoplasmic pH by 0.8 units. Intercellular communication was monitored by electrophysiological techniques that allowed the measurement of membrane resistances of sister cells and the electrical resistance of the plasmodesmata connecting them. The decrease in cytoplasmic pH did not affect the resistance of plasmodesmata, despite the fact that the butyric acid treatment more than doubled the concentration of cytoplasmic calcium. This is discussed in light of previous findings that increases in cytoplasmic calcium increase the electrical resistance of plasmodesmata.

Function of microtubules in intercellular transport of plant virus RNA

Cell-to-cell progression of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection in plants depends on virus-encoded movement protein (MP). Here we show that a conserved sequence motif in tobamovirus MPs shares similarity with a region in tubulins that is proposed to mediate lateral contacts between microtubule protofilaments. Point mutations in this motif confer temperature sensitivity to microtubule association and viral-RNA intercellular-transport functions of the protein, indicating that MP-interacting microtubules are functionally involved in the transport of vRNA to plasmodesmata. Moreover, we show that MP interacts with microtubule-nucleation sites. Together, our results indicate that MP may mimic tubulin assembly surfaces to propel vRNA transport by a dynamic process that is driven by microtubule polymerization.

Aluminum-induced 1-->3-beta-D-glucan inhibits cell-to-cell trafficking of molecules through plasmodesmata. A new mechanism of aluminum toxicity in plants

Symplastic intercellular transport in plants is achieved by plasmodesmata (PD). These cytoplasmic channels are well known to interconnect plant cells to facilitate intercellular movement of water, nutrients, and signaling molecules including hormones. However, it is not known whether Al may affect this cell-to-cell transport process, which is a critical feature for roots as organs of nutrient/water uptake. We have microinjected the dye lucifer yellow carbohydrazide into peripheral root cells of an Al-sensitive wheat (Triticum aestivum cv Scout 66) either before or after Al treatment and followed the cell-to-cell dye-coupling through PD. Here we show that the Al-induced root growth inhibition is closely associated with the Al-induced blockage of cell-to-cell dye coupling. Immunofluorescence combined with immuno-electron microscopic techniques using monoclonal antibodies against 1-->3-beta-D-glucan (callose) revealed circumstantial evidence that Al-induced callose deposition at PD may responsible for this blockage of symplastic transport. Use of 2-deoxy-D-glucose, a callose synthesis inhibitor, allowed us to demonstrate that a reduction in callose particles correlated well with the improved dye-coupling and reduced root growth inhibition. While assessing the tissue specificity of this Al effect, comparable responses were obtained from the dye-coupling pattern in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) mesophyll cells. Analyses of the Al-induced expression of PD-associated proteins, such as calreticulin and unconventional myosin VIII, showed enhanced fluorescence and co-localizations with callose deposits. These results suggest that Al-signal mediated localized alterations to calcium homeostasis may drive callose formation and PD closure. Our data demonstrate that extracellular Al-induced callose deposition at PD could effectively block symplastic transport and communication in higher plants.

Regulation of plasmodesmal transport by phosphorylation of tobacco mosaic virus cell-to-cell movement protein

Cell-to-cell spread of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) through plant intercellular connections, the plasmodesmata, is mediated by a specialized viral movement protein (MP). In vivo studies using transgenic tobacco plants showed that MP is phosphorylated at its C-terminus at amino acid residues Ser258, Thr261 and Ser265. When MP phosphorylation was mimicked by negatively charged amino acid substitutions, MP lost its ability to gate plasmodesmata. This effect on MP-plasmodesmata interactions was specific because other activities of MP, such as RNA binding and interaction with pectin methylesterases, were not affected. Furthermore, TMV encoding the MP mutant mimicking phosphorylation was unable to spread from cell to cell in inoculated tobacco plants. The regulatory effect of MP phosphorylation on plasmodesmal permeability was host dependent, occurring in tobacco but not in a more promiscuous Nicotiana benthamiana host. Thus, phosphorylation may represent a regulatory mechanism for controlling the TMV MP-plasmodesmata interactions in a host-dependent fashion.

Role of P30 in replication and spread of TMV

The P30 movement protein (MP) of tobacco mosaic virus is essential for distribution of sites of replication within infected cells and for cell-cell spread of infection. MP is an integral membrane protein and in early and mid-stages of infection causes severe disruption of the cortical endoplasmic reticulum (ER). MP also associates with microtubules, and in late stages is targeted for degradation by the 26S proteosome. During these stages, the ER regains its normal pre-infection configuration. Viral RNA is associated with ER and microtubules in the presence of MP. The MP is phosphorylated and mutation of the phosphorylated amino acid reduced association of MP with the ER, plasmodesmata, and microtubules, and altered the stability of the MP. The nature of the association of MP with vRNA and ER and microtubules, and the role of phosphorylation of MP in each of these functions, if any, remains to be determined.

Cell-to-cell movement of TMV RNA is temperature-dependent and corresponds to the association of movement protein with microtubules

The movement protein (MP) of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is essential for spread of the viral RNA genome from cell to cell. During infection, the MP associates with microtubules, and it has been proposed that the cytoskeleton transports the viral ribonucleoprotein complex from ER sites of synthesis to plasmodesmata through which infection spreads into adjacent cells. However, microtubule association of MP was observed in cells undergoing late infection rather than in cells undergoing early infection at the leading edge of expanding infection sites where virus RNA cell-to-cell spread occurs. Therefore, alternative roles for microtubules in virus infection have been proposed, including a role in MP degradation. To further investigate the role of microtubules in virus pathogenesis, we tested the efficiency of cell-to-cell spread of infection and microtubule association of the MP in response to changes in temperature. We show that the subcellular distribution of MP is temperature-dependent and that a higher efficiency of intercellular transport of virus RNA at elevated temperatures corresponds to an increased association of MP with microtubules early in infection.

Technical advance: near-infrared femtosecond laser pulses as a novel non-invasive means for dye-permeation and 3D imaging of localised dye-coupling in the Arabidopsis root meristem

We have used near-infrared femtosecond Titanium: Sapphire laser pulses as novel non-invasive means for dye loading into various cell types of the Arabidopsis root meristem, and by 3D imaging have assessed the extent of dye coupling between the meristematic cells. The post-embryonic primary root of Arabidopsis thaliana has an invariant ontogeny and fixed cellular organisation which makes it an attractive model system to study developmental events involving cell fate determination, cellular differentiation and pattern formation. Local intercellular communication and local transmission of positional signals are likely to play a pivotal role in cell proliferation and regulation of differentiation. We have therefore examined the extent to which the constituent cells in the root meristem are symplastically coupled. Following laser-assisted loading of membrane impermeate fluorescent dye propidium iodide (PI) in single cells, we show by time-lapse and 3D imaging that in the root tip all undifferentiated cells are dye-coupled. When PI is permeated into the central cells, it rapidly moved into the adjacent initials of the columella, cortex, pericycle and stele. Interestingly, when only either of the initials were loaded with the dye, it never moved into any of the central cells. Amongst the epidermal cells, the differentiated hair cells are symplastically isolated. Our data provide evidence (1) for differential dye-coupling behaviour between quiescent centre cells and the neighbouring initials; (2) that cells in the root are coupled during stages at which the cell-lineage pattern is formed and that it becomes progressively secluded as they differentiate and the pattern is fixed. Taken together, our NIR-laser mediated approach is highly efficient and has numerous potential applications for non-invasive permeation of dyes in different cell types.

Tobacco mosaic virus: a pioneer of cell-to-cell movement

Cell-to-cell movement of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is used to illustrate macromolecular traffic through plant intercellular connections, the plasmodesmata. This transport process is mediated by a specialized viral movement protein, P30. In the initially infected cell, P30 is produced by transcription of a subgenomic RNA derived from the invading virus. Presumably, P30 then associates with a certain proportion of the viral RNA molecules, sequestering them from replication and mediating their transport into neighbouring uninfected host cells. This nucleoprotem complex is targeted to plasmodesmata, possibly via interaction with the host cell's cytoskeleton. Prior to passage through a plasmodesma, the plasmodesmatal channel is dilated by the movement protein. It is proposed that targeting of P30-TMV RNA complexes to plasmodesmatal involves binding to a specific cell-wall-associated receptor molecule. This protein, designated p38, also functions as a protein kinase, phosphorylating P30 at its carboxy-terminus and minimizing P30-induced interference with plasmodesmatal permeability during viral infection.

Targeting and modification of prokaryotic cell-cell junctions by tobacco mosaic virus cell-to-cell movement protein

The movement protein (MP) of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) facilitates the cell-to-cell spread of infection by altering the structure and function of plasmodesmata, the intercellular communication channels in plants. Because the protein was shown to interfere with intercellular communication when expressed in the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120, whether the ability of the protein to target and to modify intercellular communication channels in plants is conserved in this prokaryote was investigated. It was found that the MP localizes to the cell junctions and induces the formation of filamentous structures that traverse the septa. It is proposed that the protein interacts with host components that are similar between plants and Anabaena and that may be evolutionarily related. The observations in Anabaena suggest that the MP modifies plasmodesmata by forming a filamentous aggregate within the pore.

Acetylcholine as a signaling system to environmental stimuli in plants. III. Asymmetric solute distribution controlled by ACh in gravistimulated maize seedlings

Asymmetric distribution of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity has previously been demonstrated to occur in the lower side of the gravity-stimulated maize shoot. The localization of immunoreacted IAA-inositol synthase, AChE and safranin was detected in selected organs of gravistimulated dark grown maize seedlings using a light microscope. Immunoreacted IAA-inositol synthase was asymmetrically distributed in the lower side of the stele of coleoptile node and mesocotyl in maize seedlings placed horizontally. The positive AChE spots in the coleoptile node and mesocotyl were apparently localized in the lower half of the gravistimulated seedlings. Safranin was also asymmetrically distributed in the lower half of the endodermis and stele cells of coleoptile node and mesocotyl. Namely, transport of safranin in the upper half of the coleoptile node and mesocotyl was blocked by gravistimulation. Furthermore, the asymmetric distribution of immunoreacted IAA-inositol synthase was inhibited by neostigmine bromide, AChE inhibitor. These results show that an asymmetric environmental stimulus induces changes in AChE activity, affecting IAA-inositol synthase localization and safranin transport.

Sucrose transport in higher plants

Presumably due to its physicochemical properties, sucrose represents the major transport form of photosynthetically assimilated carbohydrates in plants. Sucrose synthesized in green leaves is transported via the phloem, the long distance distribution network for assimilates in order to supply nonphotosynthetic organs with energy and carbon skeletons. At least in Solanaceae, sugar export seems to be a tightly regulated process involving a number of specific plasma membrane proteins. Significant progress in this field was made possible by the recent identification of plasma membrane sucrose transporter genes. These carriers represent important parts of the long-distance transport machinery and can serve as a starting point to obtain a complete picture of long-distance sucrose transport in plants. A combination of biochemical studies of transporter properties together with expression and localization studies allow specific functions to be assigned to the individual proteins. Furthermore, the use of transgenic plants specifically impaired in sucrose transporter expression has provided strong evidence that SUT1 transporter function is required for phloem loading. Physiological analyses of these plants demonstrate that sucrose transporters are essential components of the sucrose translocation pathway at least in potato and tobacco.

PHLOEM UNLOADING: Sieve Element Unloading and Post-Sieve Element Transport

The transport events from the sieve elements to the sites of utilization within the recipient sink cells contribute to phloem unloading. The phenomenon links sink metabolism and/or compartmentation with phloem transport to, and partitioning between, sinks. The nature of the linkage depends upon the cellular pathway and mechanism of unloading. The common unloading pathway is symplasmic, with an apoplasmic step at or beyond the sieve element boundary reserved for specialized situations. Plasmodesmal conductivity exerts the primary control over symplasmic transport that occurs by diffusion with bulk flow anticipated to be of increasing significance as import rate rises. In the case of an apoplasmic step, efflux across the plasma membranes of the vascular cells occurs by simple diffusion, whereas efflux from nonvascular cells of developing seeds is facilitated and, in some cases, energy coupled. Accumulation of sugars from the sink apoplasm universally occurs by a plasma membrane-bound sugar/proton symport mechanism.

The geminivirus BL1 movement protein is associated with endoplasmic reticulum-derived tubules in developing phloem cells

Plant viruses encode movement proteins that are essential for systemic infection of their host but dispensable for replication and encapsidation. BL1, one of the two movement proteins encoded by the bipartite geminivirus squash leaf curl virus, was immunolocalized to unique approximately 40-nm tubules that extended up to and across the walls of procambial cells in systemically infected pumpkin leaves. These tubules were not found in procambial cells from pumpkin seedlings inoculated with BL1 mutants that are defective in movement. The tubules also specifically stained with antisera to binding protein (BiP), indicating that they were derived from the endoplasmic reticulum. Independent confirmation of this endoplasmic reticulum association was obtained by subcellular fractionation studies in which BL1 was localized to fractions that contained both endoplasmic reticulum membranes and BiP. Thus, squash leaf curl virus appears to recruit the endoplasmic reticulum as a conduit for cell-to-cell movement of the viral genome.

Cell-to-cell transport of macromolecules through plasmodesmata: a novel signalling pathway in plants

Cell-to-cell communication is vital to the growth and development of multicellularly structured organisms. Recent studies have demonstrated that plants have an endogenous machinery to transport macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids between cells through plasmodesmata. Such transport may be a novel means of cell-to-cell signalling. Here, Biao Ding discusses the mechanisms underlying this newly discovered biological function.