Plasmodesmata: Structure, Function, Role in Cell Communication

1 Plasmodesmata, a Maze of Questions.- 2 Plasmodesmal Imaging—Towards Understanding Structure.- 3 Tissue Preparation and Substructure of Plasmodesmata.- 4 Electrical Coupling.- 5 Use and Limitations of Fluorochromes for Plasmodesmal Research.- 6 Use of GFP-Tagged Viruses in Plasmodesmal Research.- 7 Evolution of Plasmodesmata.- 8 The Perforate Septal Pore Cap of Basidiomycetes.- 9 Substructure of Plasmodesmata.- 10 Multimorphology and Nomenclature of Plasmodesmata in Higher Plants.- 11 Physiological Control of Plasmodesmal Gating.- 12 Plasmodesmal Coupling and Cell Differentiation in Algae.- 13 The Symplasmic Organization of the Shoot Apical Meristem.- 14 The Physiological and Developmental Consequences of Plasmodesmal Connectivity.- 15 Plasmodesmata in the Phloem-Loading Pathway.- 16 P-Protein Trafficking Through Plasmodesmata.- 17 Plasmodesmata and Long-Distance Virus Movement.

Plasmodesmata are minuscule plasma corridors between plant cells which are of paramount importance for transport, communication and signalling between cells. These nano-channels are responsible for the integrated action of cells within tissues and for the subdivision of the plant body into working symplast units.
This book updates the wealth of new information in this rapidly expanding field. Reputed workers in the field discuss major techniques in plasmodesmatal research and describe recent discoveries on the ultrastructure, the functioning and the role of plasmodesmata in intracellular transport and communication, in cell differentiation, plant development and virus translocation.

While most books on plant cell biology concentrate on the cells and their interior, this book exclusively deals with the plasma connections between cells which play a most important role in the cell-cell communication Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras