A Theoretical Model of Jigsaw-Puzzle Pattern Formation by Plant Leaf Epidermal Cells

PLoS Comput Biol. 2016 Apr 7;12(4):e1004833. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004833. eCollection 2016 Apr.

Abstract

Plant leaf epidermal cells exhibit a jigsaw puzzle-like pattern that is generated by interdigitation of the cell wall during leaf development. The contribution of two ROP GTPases, ROP2 and ROP6, to the cytoskeletal dynamics that regulate epidermal cell wall interdigitation has already been examined; however, how interactions between these molecules result in pattern formation remains to be elucidated. Here, we propose a simple interface equation model that incorporates both the cell wall remodeling activity of ROP GTPases and the diffusible signaling molecules by which they are regulated. This model successfully reproduces pattern formation observed in vivo, and explains the counterintuitive experimental results of decreased cellulose production and increased thickness. Our model also reproduces the dynamics of three-way cell wall junctions. Therefore, this model provides a possible mechanism for cell wall interdigitation formation in vivo.

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / cytology
  • Arabidopsis / enzymology
  • Arabidopsis / growth & development
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism
  • Body Patterning
  • Cell Wall / ultrastructure
  • Computational Biology
  • GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Models, Biological*
  • Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Plant Epidermis / cytology
  • Plant Epidermis / enzymology
  • Plant Epidermis / growth & development
  • Plant Leaves / cytology*
  • Plant Leaves / enzymology
  • Plant Leaves / growth & development*
  • Time-Lapse Imaging

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • ROP6 protein, Arabidopsis
  • GTP-Binding Proteins
  • ROP2 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins

Grants and funding

The authors received no specific funding for this work.