Plasmodesma
Plasmodesma allow molecules to travel between plant cells through the symplastic pathway
The structure of a primary plasmodesma. CW=Cell wall CA=Callose PM=Plasma membrane ER=Endoplasmic reticulum DM=Desmotubule Red circles=Actin Purple circles and spokes=Other unidentified proteins.[1]
Plasmodesma (plural is 'plasmodesmata') is a microscopic channel across the cell wall of a plant cell.[2][3] It allows transport and communication between neighbouring cells. Plasmodesmata also evolved independently in some algae.
Unlike animal cells, every plant cell is surrounded by a polysaccharide cell wall. Neighbouring plant cells are therefore separated by a pair of cell walls. Although cell walls are permeable to small soluble molecules, plasmodesmata allow direct, regulated, intercellular transport of substances between cells.[4]
Similar structures connect animal cells.[5][6] Stromules form between plastids in plant cells.[7]
Plasmodesma Media
Tobacco mosaic virus movement protein 30 (green) localizes to plasmodesmata
References
- ↑ Maule, Andrew. Plasmodesmata: structure, function and biogenesis. Current Opinion in Plant Biology 11 (6) (December 2008). p. 680–686. doi:10.1016/j.pbi.2008.08.002.
- ↑ Oparka K.J. 2005. Plasmodesmata. Blackwell. ISBN 1-4051-2554-3; ISBN 978-1-4051-2554-3
- ↑ Plasmodesmata (www.dictionary.com)
- ↑ Traas, Jan & Vernoux, Teva 2002. The shoot apical meristem: the dynamics of a stable structure. Phil Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 357(1422): 737–747, page 744. [1] Archived 2013-08-01 at Archive.today
- ↑ Bruce Alberts. Molecular biology of the cell (2002). New York: Garland Science. ISBN 0-8153-3218-1.
- ↑ Gallagher K.L. & Benfey P.N.. Not just another hole in the wall: understanding intercellular protein trafficking. Genes Dev. 19 (2) (January 2005). p. 189–95. doi:10.1101/gad.1271005.
- ↑ Gray J.C.. Stromules: mobile protrusions and interconnections between plastids. Plant Biology 3 (3) (2001). p. 223–33. doi:10.1055/s-2001-15204.