A novel cell-cell signalling pathway regulating the orientation of cell division in plants

植物细胞被一层坚固的细胞壁所包围。植物细胞发育的这一特征的一个结果是，植物形状的惊人多样性都是由植物的不同部分以不同的速度生长产生的。这些不同的生长速度只能通过增加细胞的大小或改变细胞分裂的方向来实现。例如，在根中，细胞几乎总是与根的外部成直角分裂，这使得大多数根具有细长的形状。尽管细胞分裂的方向在植物发育中很重要，但我们对这一过程是如何调节的知之甚少。一个植物细胞如何知道它相对于植物外部的位置？植物中的维管组织是在植物周围运输水和溶质的组织。血管细胞以非常有序和可预测的方式分裂，因此是研究细胞分裂过程如何组织的良好目标。我们已经鉴定出一种突变体，其中维管组织中有序的细胞分裂被扰乱。利用这种突变体，我们已经确定了一个基因，它是一条途径的重要组成部分，该途径告诉植物细胞相对于植物的其他部分，它们在哪里，因此它们必须向哪个方向分裂。这个基因可能只是一个通路的一个组成部分，该通路参与告诉细胞它们彼此相对的位置。在该项目的过程中，将确定该途径的其他组成部分，并确定它们如何共同工作以组织细胞分裂的方向。出于各种原因，理解这些过程很重要。维管组织很重要，因为木材是由维管组织组成的。维管细胞如何分裂以及它们产生的细胞对于确定木材的特性非常重要，即它有多坚固，是否能为打印机制造好的纸张。由于我们现在产生的大量垃圾，寻找可生物降解的材料的压力越来越大。生产可生物降解材料的一种方法是使用植物中的天然纤维来取代玻璃纤维等材料中的人造纤维。了解细胞如何分裂将有助于开发更适合材料要求的纤维。出于各种原因，理解这些过程很重要。维管组织很重要，因为木材是由维管组织组成的。维管细胞如何分裂以及它们产生的细胞对于确定木材的特性非常重要，即它有多坚固，是否能为打印机制造好的纸张。由于我们现在产生的大量垃圾，寻找可生物降解的材料的压力越来越大。生产可生物降解材料的一种方法是使用植物中的天然纤维来取代玻璃纤维等材料中的人造纤维。了解细胞如何分裂将有助于开发更适合材料要求的纤维。

Plant cells are surrounded by a strong cell wall. One consequence of this feature of plant cell development is that the amazingly diverse range of plant shapes are all generated by different parts of the plant growing at different rates. These different growth rates can only be brought about by increasing the size of the cells, or by altering the direction in which the cells divide. In roots for example, the cells nearly always divide at right angles to the outside of the root and this gives the characteristic long thin shape of most roots. Despite the importance of the direction of cell division in plant development, we know very little about how this process is regulated. How does a plant cell know where it is relative to the outside of the plant? The vascular tissue in plants is the tissue that transports water and solutes around the plant. Vascular cells divide in a very ordered and predictable way and consequently are a good target for studying how the process of cell division is organised. We have identified a mutant in which the ordered cell divisions in the vascular tissue are disturbed. Using this mutant we have identified a gene that is an important part of a pathway that tells plant cells where they are, relative to the rest of the plant, and consequently in which direction they must divide. This gene is likely to be only one component of a pathway that is involved in telling cells where they are relative to one another. During the course of this project other components of this pathway will be identified and how they work together to organise the direction of cell division will be determined. It is important to understand these processes for a variety of reasons. Vascular tissue is important since wood is composed of vascular tissue. How vascular cells divide and the cells that they generate are important for determining the properties of the wood, i.e. how strong it is, whether it will make good paper for a printer. Because of the vast amount of rubbish that we now generate there is increasing pressure to find material that is biodegradable. One way of generating biodegradable material is to use natural fibres from plants to replace man-made fibres in materials such as fibre glass. Understanding how cells divide would help to develop fibres that are better suited to the requirements of the material. It is important to understand these processes for a variety of reasons. Vascular tissue is important since wood is composed of vascular tissue. How vascular cells divide and the cells that they generate are important for determining the properties of the wood, i.e. how strong it is, whether it will make good paper for a printer. Because of the vast amount of rubbish that we now generate there is increasing pressure to find material that is biodegradable. One way of generating biodegradable material is to use natural fibres from plants to replace man-made fibres in materials such as fibre glass. Understanding how cells divide would help to develop fibres that are better suited to the requirements of the material.