Abstract
Plant leaf epidermal cells exhibit a jigsaw puzzle–like pattern that is generated by interdigitation of the cell wall during leaf development. The contribution of two ROP GTPases, ROP2 and ROP6, to the cytoskeletal dynamics that regulate epidermal cell wall interdigitation has already been examined; however, how interactions between these molecules result in pattern formation remains to be elucidated. Here, we propose a simple interface equation model that incorporates both the cell wall remodeling activity of ROP GTPases and the diffusible signaling molecules by which they are regulated. This model successfully reproduces pattern formation observed in vivo, and explains the counterintuitive experimental results of decreased cellulose production and increased thickness. Our model also reproduces the dynamics of three-way cell wall junctions. Therefore, this model provides a possible mechanism for cell wall interdigitation formation in vivo.
Highlights
Throughout growth and differentiation, plant cells display various shapes that are primarily determined by the cell wall [1,2]
In the cotyledons of Arabidopsis thaliana, significant winding is observed for approximately one week after seed sowing (Fig 1)
As the plant developed over 2–5 days and cells grew, cell wall gradually became bent, resulting in a jigsaw puzzle–like pattern (Fig 1a; days 4, 7)
Summary
Throughout growth and differentiation, plant cells display various shapes that are primarily determined by the cell wall [1,2]. Leaf epidermal cells in dicotyledonous plants have jigsaw puzzle–like shapes with winding cell wall [3,4]. The cell wall begins to wind during leaf expansion, forming. Jigsaw Puzzle Pattern Formation by Plant Leaf Epidermal Cells doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004833.g001 interdigitated cell patterns [5,6,7]. In the cotyledons of Arabidopsis thaliana, significant winding is observed for approximately one week after seed sowing (Fig 1). Both the cell volume and total cell wall length of an epidermal cell increase as it changes in shape. The thickness of the cell wall remains mostly unchanged, but traditional transmission electron microscopic observations suggest that the cell wall becomes slightly thicker as an accompaniment to cortical microtubule accumulation in the winding zone [8]
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