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Phloem development: current knowledge and future perspectives.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Heo, Jung-Ok 
Roszak, Pawel 
Furuta, Kaori M 
Helariutta, Ykä 

Abstract

Phloem, as a major tissue mediating long-distance communication, has been an object of extensive research ever since its structure was first reported in 1837. Functional phloem consists of sieve elements (SEs) and companion cells (CCs). While SEs are enucleated conducting cells in the phloem, CCs are cells with intact cellular components and are known to support the functioning of SEs. CCs are closely linked to SEs by symplastic connections mediated by plasmodesmata (PD). Sieve elements are notoriously sensitive to manipulation, which has hampered efforts to investigate their structure using microscopy or histology; phloem thus remains a mysterious tissue almost 200 yr after its discovery. Nevertheless, consistent efforts have overcome many of the technical barriers and generated considerable amounts of data about the structure and function of phloem. Advances in the 1950s and 1960s significantly improved our understanding of phloem anatomy and function. A major function of the phloem is to establish symplastic connections throughout the plant body, delivering nutrients and various signaling molecules, which play pivotal roles in growth and development. Despite the importance of phloem, details about the molecular mechanisms responsible for the establishment and maintenance of phloem continuity remain elusive.

Description

Keywords

companion cells, continuity, development, phloem, sieve elements, Biological Transport, Cell Communication, Genes, Plant, Phloem, Plants

Journal Title

Am J Bot

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0002-9122
1537-2197

Volume Title

101

Publisher

Wiley