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Plant Cytoskeleton: Advances and Novel Functions

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 5076

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Section of Botany, Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Interests: abiotic/biotic stress effects on plants; plant cell biology; phytomorphogenesis; plant biomass utilization; innovative ecological quality monitoring systems
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Guest Editor
Cell Biology Division, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
Interests: plant cell division; morphogenesis; cell polarity; microtubules; actin cytoskeleton; reactive oxygen species; redox signalling; stress perception

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The cytoskeleton is an essential component of eukaryotic cells determining their structural integrity. Ever since their discovery in plant cells, the role of microtubules and actin microfilaments has been analysed largely by pharmacological strategies, providing broad insights into the participation of cytoskeletal arrays in specific cellular processes. The modern methods in cell research, including genomics, proteomics, molecular genetics, as well as improved visualization techniques and novel imaging technologies, are transforming our vision of the form, function, and regulation of the plant cytoskeleton. 

The shift to integrative approaches in recent years has revolutionized our understanding of the plant cytoskeleton. Static cell images have been replaced by dramatic motion snapshots of live, dynamic protein networks, and descriptive analysis has been replaced by mechanistic and quantitative insights. Taking advantage of these powerful tools, scientists attempt to delve deeper into the organization and dynamics of the cytoskeleton in order to unravel how they are integrated into regulatory networks underlying complex plant processes, from sexual reproduction to organ morphogenesis and cellular differentiation. Undeniably, the extensive investigation of the plant cytoskeleton has revealed previously unknown functions and numerous associated proteins.

In this Special Issue, our aim is to provide an overarching but complementary view of this fast-growing field. Updates on plant cytoskeleton functions will be the main scope of this Issue. Contributions at the organism, cellular, molecular and omics level are highly welcome.

Dr. Ioannis-Dimosthenis Adamakis
Dr. Pantelis Livanos
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • actin microfilament
  • cell polarity
  • formins
  • microtubules
  • MAP
  • myosin
  • phyto-morphogenesis

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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10 pages, 7414 KiB  
Article
F-Actin Organization and Epidermal Cell Morphogenesis in the Brown Alga Sargassum vulgare
by Emmanuel Panteris and Dimitris Pappas
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(17), 13234; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241713234 - 26 Aug 2023
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Abstract
The ordinary epidermal cells of various vascular plants are characterized by wavy anticlinal wall contours. This feature has not yet been reported in multicellular algal species. Here, we found that, in the leaf-like blades of the brown alga Sargassum vulgare, epidermal cells [...] Read more.
The ordinary epidermal cells of various vascular plants are characterized by wavy anticlinal wall contours. This feature has not yet been reported in multicellular algal species. Here, we found that, in the leaf-like blades of the brown alga Sargassum vulgare, epidermal cells exhibit prominent waviness. Initially, the small meristodermal cells exhibit straight anticlinal contour, which during their growth becomes wavy, in a pattern highly reminiscent of that found in land plants. Waviness is restricted close to the external periclinal wall, while at inner levels the anticlinal walls become thick and even. The mechanism behind this shape relies on cortical F-actin organization. Bundles of actin filaments are organized, extending under the external periclinal wall and connecting its junctions with the anticlinal walls, constituting an interconnected network. These bundles define the sites of local thickening deposition at the anticlinal/periclinal wall junctions. These thickenings are interconnected by cellulose microfibril extensions under the external periclinal wall. Apart from the wavy anticlinal contour, outward protrusions also arise on the external periclinal wall, thus the whole epidermis exhibits a quilted appearance. Apart from highlighting a new role for F-actin in cell shaping, the comparison of this morphogenetic mechanism to that of vascular plants reveals a case of evolutionary convergence among photosynthetic organisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Cytoskeleton: Advances and Novel Functions)
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Review

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18 pages, 2034 KiB  
Review
At the Nexus between Cytoskeleton and Vacuole: How Plant Cytoskeletons Govern the Dynamics of Large Vacuoles
by Hirotomo Takatsuka, Takumi Higaki and Masaki Ito
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(4), 4143; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24044143 - 18 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2872
Abstract
Large vacuoles are a predominant cell organelle throughout the plant body. They maximally account for over 90% of cell volume and generate turgor pressure that acts as a driving force of cell growth, which is essential for plant development. The plant vacuole also [...] Read more.
Large vacuoles are a predominant cell organelle throughout the plant body. They maximally account for over 90% of cell volume and generate turgor pressure that acts as a driving force of cell growth, which is essential for plant development. The plant vacuole also acts as a reservoir for sequestering waste products and apoptotic enzymes, thereby enabling plants to rapidly respond to fluctuating environments. Vacuoles undergo dynamic transformation through repeated enlargement, fusion, fragmentation, invagination, and constriction, eventually resulting in the typical 3-dimensional complex structure in each cell type. Previous studies have indicated that such dynamic transformations of plant vacuoles are governed by the plant cytoskeletons, which consist of F-actin and microtubules. However, the molecular mechanism of cytoskeleton-mediated vacuolar modifications remains largely unclear. Here we first review the behavior of cytoskeletons and vacuoles during plant development and in response to environmental stresses, and then introduce candidates that potentially play pivotal roles in the vacuole–cytoskeleton nexus. Finally, we discuss factors hampering the advances in this research field and their possible solutions using the currently available cutting-edge technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Cytoskeleton: Advances and Novel Functions)
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