Plasmodesmata: dynamic regulation and role in macromolecular cell-to-cell signaling

Recent studies have demonstrated the functional significance of intercellular RNA and protein trafficking in plant development, confirming the role of plasmodesmata (PD) in the mediation and control of intercellular communication via macromolecules. Small fluorescent tracer loading techniques and experiments involving the expression of proteins tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP) have been used to investigate the mechanisms of PD targeting and trafficking, as well as to elucidate the dynamic and structural properties of these channels.