Understanding plasmodesmatal transit: Targeted transport leads the way.

摘要

The research disclosed in this dissertation is centered on understanding the elusive channels that span the cell wall in plants, plasmodesmata. These mysterious passageways have intrigued scientists since the late 1800s and still remain an exceptional puzzle. While other compartments of the cell have characteristic proteins and discernible markers, no plasmodesmatal proteins have yet been definitively identified. These conduits uniquely span the cell wall, and hence are the only way to bridge neighboring cells, symplastically. Their role in plant development and subsistence is just beginning to be understood. This work outlines advances in understanding protein movement through these channels.;A quantitative assay was developed and subsequent analysis revealed a novel form of protein movement and the parameters regulating it. In parallel, the study of a viral movement protein known to traffic plasmodesmata provided clues about a second form of protein movement. These two forms of movement were compared and discerned. Using this viral protein, I also attempted to uncover interacting plasmodesmatal components. Additionally, potential endogenous proteins which behave similarly to a viral movement protein were analyzed to gain further insight into protein movement as a mechanism to control supracellular regulation in plants.