Cell polarity signaling in Arabidopsis

Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol. 2008:24:551-75. doi: 10.1146/annurev.cellbio.23.090506.123233.

Abstract

Cell polarization is intimately linked to plant development, growth, and responses to the environment. Major advances have been made in our understanding of the signaling pathways and networks that regulate cell polarity in plants owing to recent studies on several model systems, e.g., tip growth in pollen tubes, cell morphogenesis in the leaf epidermis, and polar localization of PINs. From these studies we have learned that plant cells use conserved mechanisms such as Rho family GTPases to integrate both plant-specific and conserved polarity cues and to coordinate the cytoskeketon dynamics/reorganization and vesicular trafficking required for polarity establishment and maintenance. This review focuses upon signaling mechanisms for cell polarity formation in Arabidopsis, with an emphasis on Rho GTPase signaling in polarized cell growth and how these mechanisms compare with those for cell polarity signaling in yeast and animal systems.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / anatomy & histology
  • Arabidopsis / cytology
  • Arabidopsis / physiology*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / classification
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Division / physiology
  • Cell Polarity*
  • Cytoskeleton / metabolism
  • Indoleacetic Acids / metabolism
  • Microtubules / metabolism
  • Morphogenesis*
  • Phylogeny
  • Plant Epidermis / cytology
  • Plant Epidermis / physiology
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins / classification
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Indoleacetic Acids
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins