Abstract Detail

Advances in Modelling Plant Development

Jafari Bidhendi, Amir [1], Altartouri, Bara [1], Geitmann, Anja [1].

Morphogenesis of jigsaw-puzzle shaped leaf pavement cells.

Plant cells come in a wide variety of different shapes. How their sometimes complex geometries are attained is poorly understood, however. Leaf pavement cells with their interdigitated protrusions and indents resembling a jig-saw puzzle make an ideal model to study the formation of complex geometries in plant cells. Plant cell growth is driven by the turgor pressure, but controlled by the mechanical properties of the cell wall. Complex geometries are thus formed based on intricate regulation of the deposition of different cell wall components. We used high resolution imaging and mechanical modeling based on finite element methods to investigate how cell wall mechanics enables the genesis of wavy pavement cells. Our simulations suggest that under the intrinsically uniform turgor pressure, the generation of cell wall undulations requires the alternate localization of wall stiffening in periclinal walls. The model also suggests that a positive stress-stiffening mechanical feedback loop is able to shape the cells starting from an infinitesimal stiffness difference localized at coordinates of incipient necks. Specific dyes as well as polarizing microscopy were used to correlate the predictions made in silico with the spatial distribution of cell wall components in vivo. The spatial distribution of pectins and cellulose, the most important components of the plant cell wall, revealed localized patterns of cellulose microfibrils in the necks, seemingly reinforcing the periclinal wall in those regions. Additional stiffening seems to be supplied by the de-esterified pectins. The data suggest that cellular morphogenesis requires an intricate regulatory mechanism operating at subcellular scale.

Related Links:
Geitmann Lab

1 - University of Montreal, Biological Sciences, Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, 4101 Rue Sherbrooke est, Montreal, Qc, H1X 2B2, Canada

Keywords:
Cell wall
Cellulose
Development
leaf micromorphology.

Presentation Type: Symposium Presentation
Session: SY10
Location: Salon 13/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Tuesday, July 28th, 2015
Time: 2:15 PM
Number: SY10003
Abstract ID:326
Candidate for Awards:None