Plant cells taking shape: new insights into cytoplasmic control

The slow and irreversible changes in plant cell shape include the cytoplasmic control of cell wall yielding in response to turgor pressure and the genesis of intracellular trafficking routes to the cell cortex. However, we lack a clear understanding of how interactions between cytoskeletal arrays and endomembrane compartments influence the physical properties of the cell wall. Recent forward and chemical genetic screens and sophisticated imaging analyses are revealing novel intracellular compartments and cytoskeleton interactions that impact the patterns of cellulose synthesis at the plasma membrane. These baseline data on the growth behavior of cylindrical cells provide a useful framework to better understand cell type specific strategies to generate complex shapes.