Review – A plane choice: coordinating timing and orientation of cell division during plant development (Current Opinion in Plant Bio)

Asymmetric cell division is instrumental to development of specialized cells, while symmetric cell division underlies proliferative growth. The defects in cell division plane arise when transition between the G1 to S stage is accelerated, suggesting that the signals leading to division plane position are initiated in G1. Facette et al. summarizes the intrinsic and extrinsic factors controlling the positioning of the cell division plane. The internal signals include protein kinases like aurora and asymmetric protein degradation or modification. The environmental cues include mechanical stress affecting microtubule dynamics and positioning of the nucleus. Other external signals include peptides released by plant itself or a pathogen hoping to create its feeding site. The authors hope that future studies will increase our understanding how internal and external cues are integrated in division plate orientation in coordination of plant development. (Summary by Magdalena Julkowska) Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 10.1016/j.pbi.2018.09.001