title: Plant morphogenesis: a role for mechanical signals.
abstract: The current paradigm for plant morphogenesis dictates that cortical microtubules serve as a template for the assembly of the cellulosic wall which, in turn, controls cell expansion. A new study provides direct evidence that tissue-level tension can serve as a mechanical signal to align cortical microtubules, thus establishing a critical feedback mechanism for the morphogenetic process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. jdumais@oeb.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dumais
mesh_terms: D018519:Meristem / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism; D009024:Morphogenesis; D059828:Plant Cells; D063245:Plant Development; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical