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Press Release 05-037
New Piece Found in the Cell-Shape Puzzle
Cell communication coordinates growth
March 11, 2005
The interlocked cells on the surface of a plant leaf form a pattern that looks like a finished jigsaw puzzle. But how the cells develop their wavy outlines has been a long-standing question for plant biologists. Now, in the March 11 issue of the journal Cell, scientists discover an important missing piece: the interplay of two opposing biochemical processes gives these cells their characteristic and essential shape.
The jigsaw-puzzle design of these cells is critical to help protect the underlying tissue from wind, rain and other stresses by providing physical strength. According to Zhenbiao Yang and colleagues at the University of California, Riverside, and Geoffrey Wasteneys at the University of British Columbia, cells adopt their final shapes by communicating with one another while undergoing a repetitive process of growth activation and inhibition. The end result is a network of cells with intertwined “lobes” and “necks.”
“Knowing the mechanism by which these cells develop, could lead to a better understanding of how growth is coordinated in any developing tissue or organ,” said Yang. Similar elements of these cellular processes are known to exist in a variety of organisms including mammals; therefore, further investigation may provide a unifying mechanism for cellular specialization and growth across plant and animal kingdoms.
Susan Lolle, the National Science Foundation program manager who oversees Yang's work said, "Surprisingly, we still know little about how an organism shapes and arranges its cells to form functioning tissue. It’s this growth process that contributes to the final anatomy of plant parts; hence, in the end we see that petals, stems, and leaves look dramatically different. These results help us understand how cells achieve their final shapes."
-NSF-
Media Contacts
Randy Vines, NSF (703) 292-7963 rvines@nsf.gov
Program Contacts
Susan J. Lolle, NSF (703) 292-8417 slolle@nsf.gov
Principal Investigators
Zhenbiao Yang, University of California, Riverside (909) 787-7351 zhenbiao.yang@ucr.edu
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2009, its budget is $9.5 billion, which includes $3.0 billion provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to over 1,900 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 44,400 competitive requests for funding, and makes over 11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $400 million in professional and service contracts yearly.
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