Abstract
Plasmodesmata are intercellular organelles in plants that establish cytoplasmic continuity between neighboring cells. Microinjection studies showed that plasmodesmata facilitate the cell-to-cell transport of a plant-encoded transcription factor, KNOTTED1 (KN1). KN1 can also mediate the selective plasmodesmal trafficking of kn1 sense RNA. The emerging picture of plant development suggests that cell fate is determined at least in part by supracellular controls responding to cellular position as well as lineage. One of the mechanisms that enables the necessary intercellular communication appears to involve transfer of informational molecules (proteins and RNA) through plasmodesmata.
Publication types
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Comment
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Biological Transport
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Cell Communication*
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Homeodomain Proteins / metabolism*
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Nicotiana / metabolism
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Nicotiana / ultrastructure
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Organelles / metabolism*
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Plant Proteins / metabolism*
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Plant Viral Movement Proteins
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Plants / metabolism*
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Plants / ultrastructure
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Plants, Toxic
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RNA, Plant / genetics
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RNA, Plant / metabolism*
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RNA, Viral / genetics
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RNA, Viral / metabolism
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Viral Proteins / metabolism
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Zea mays / metabolism
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Zea mays / ultrastructure
Substances
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Homeodomain Proteins
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Kn1 protein, plant
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Plant Proteins
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Plant Viral Movement Proteins
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RNA, Plant
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RNA, Viral
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Viral Proteins