Abstract
In plants, the spatial arrangement of cells within tissues and organs is a direct consequence of the positioning of the new cell walls during cell division. Since the nineteenth century, scientists have proposed rules to explain the orientation of plant cell divisions. Most of these rules predict the new wall will follow the shortest path passing through the cell centroid halving the cell into two equal volumes. However, in some developmental contexts, divisions deviate significantly from this rule. In these situations, mechanical stress, hormonal signalling, or cell polarity have been described to influence the division path. Here we discuss the mechanism and subcellular structure required to define the cell division placement then we provide an overview of the situations where division deviates from the shortest symmetric path.
Highlights
In plants, the presence of cell walls implies that tissue forms a mechanical continuum where cells are attached to their neighbours
In 1886, Errera proposed that most planes of plant cell divisions followed the shortest possible path, halving the cell into two daughter cells of equal volume in a way similar to soap film formation that tends to optimize the energy by minimising their surface area [3]
Studies spanning several decades have highlighted the fundamental role of microtubules and associated structures in defining cell division orientation
Summary
The spatial arrangement of cells within tissues and organs is a direct consequence of the positioning of the new cell walls during cell division. Scientists have proposed rules to explain the orientation of plant cell divisions. Most of these rules predict the new wall will follow the shortest path passing through the cell centroid halving the cell into two equal volumes. In some developmental contexts, divisions deviate significantly from this rule. In these situations, mechanical stress, hormonal signalling, or cell polarity have been described to influence the division path.
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