title: Novel Insights into the Organization of Laticifer Cells: A Cell Comprising a Unified Whole System.
abstract: Laticifer cells are specialized plant cells that synthesize and accumulate latex. Studies on laticifers have lagged behind in recent years, and data regarding the functional role of laticifers and their fitness benefit still remain elusive. Laticifer differentiation and its impact on plant growth and development also remain to be investigated. Here, cellular, molecular, and genetic tools were developed to examine the distribution, differentiation, ontogeny, and other characteristic features, as well as the potential developmental role of laticifer cells in the latex-bearing plant Euphorbia lathyris. The organization of the laticiferous system within the E. lathyris plant body is reported, emerging as a single elongated and branched coenocytic cell, constituting the largest cell type existing in plants. We also report the ontogeny and organization of laticifer cells in the embryo and the identification of a laticifer-associated gene expression pattern. Moreover, the identification of laticifer- and latex-deficient mutants (pil mutants) allowed for the identification of distinct loci regulating laticifer differentiation, growth, and metabolic activity. Additionally, pil mutants revealed that laticifer cells appear nonessential for plant growth and development, thus pointing toward their importance, instead, for specific ecophysiological adaptations of latex-bearing plants in natural environments.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación, 46022 Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Castelblanque
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación, 46022 Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Begoña
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Balaguer
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación, 46022 Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8918-8147
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martí
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación, 46022 Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación, 46022 Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Marianela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Orozco
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación, 46022 Valencia, Spain vera@ibmcp.upv.es.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vera
mesh_terms: D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000235:genetics; D018548:Cotyledon / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D028481:Euphorbia / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D007840:Latex / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009154:Mutation; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D036226:Seedlings / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013729:Terpenes / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007840:Latex; D010940:Plant Proteins; D013729:Terpenes