Plant Cell Cultures as a Tool to Study Programmed Cell Death.

Massimo Malerba,Raffaella Cerana

doi:10.3390/ijms22042166

Massimo Malerba, Raffaella Cerana

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22042166

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Abstract

Programmed cell death (PCD) is a genetically controlled suicide process present in all living beings with the scope of eliminating cells unnecessary or detrimental for the proper development of the organism. In plants, PCD plays a pivotal role in many developmental processes such as sex determination, senescence, and aerenchyma formation and is involved in the defense responses against abiotic and biotic stresses. Thus, its study is a main goal for plant scientists. However, since PCD often occurs in a small group of inaccessible cells buried in a bulk of surrounding uninvolved cells, its study in whole plant or complex tissues is very difficult. Due to their uniformity, accessibility, and reproducibility of application of stress conditions, cultured cells appear a useful tool to investigate the different aspects of plant PCD. In this review, we summarize how plant cell cultures can be utilized to clarify the plant PCD process.

Highlights

Programmed cell death (PCD) is a genetically controlled suicide process present in all living beings with the scope of eliminating cells unnecessary or detrimental for the proper development of the organism
PCD plays a pivotal role in the plant lifestyle and it is involved in several developmental and pathological contexts [1,2]
The possibility to evaluate the effects of different inducers in PCD

Summary

Introduction

Programmed cell death (PCD) is a genetically controlled suicide process present in all living beings with the scope of eliminating cells unnecessary or detrimental for the proper development of the organism. Unlike animals, where well-described forms of PCD (for example apoptosis) are reported, in plants, the PCD process is still poorly understood and the term PCD is widely used to describe cell death observed in different tissues and organs. For aa number number of of reasons, reasons, For example, large quantities of cell material can be maintained or quickly generated cultured cells appeared an attractive model to several plant biologists to face this matter. Addition,or thestress greater accessibility makes cell cultures cultures good system to which different compounds or stress conditions can be furnished to from. It system to which different compounds or stress conditions can be furnished to or or is relatively removed from.

Biotic

O2 accumulation

Future Perspectives and Conclusions