Discover how a proteolytic enzyme, At2-MMP, plays a vital role in regulating cell proliferation during the remarkable self-healing process of plants. Researchers unravel the intricate mechanisms behind this fascinating phenomenon, shedding light on the survival strategies of immobile plants.
The Remarkable Self-Healing Ability of Plants
In response to stem injury, neighboring cells divide to restore and reconnect the injured tissue in plants. This is not just fascinating, it is essential given that plants cannot move and must therefore constantly repair themselves at the cellular level.
Although previous research in this realm has largely centered on the start of cell proliferation, there have been scant studies on the inhibitory processes that put the brakes on such a proliferation. Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have demonstrated that At2-MMP is essential for cell division during autonomous repair in the model plant Marchantia polymorpha.
Unveiling the Regulatory Role of At2-MMP
By observing how tissue repairs on an Arabidopsis mutant plant without the At2-MMP gene (the UNION OF ALTERATION IN TWO MILL DESIGNER 46, or at2-mmp mutant) differ from cell repair processes in wild-type plants, researchers found something remarkable. For example, cell proliferation starts to occur in the central (pith) cells (the inside of root and stem) of fully maintained wild-type flowering stems approximately three days after being severed.
At2-MMP transcripts gradually increase from day 0 to day 5, decreasing back at day 7 when tissue repair is completed. Nevertheless, our image analysis suggested that the arrest of cell division at the injury site was disrupted in ath2_mmp mutants and demonstrated an important inhibitory function of At2-MMP in local and nondisruptive control over cell division necessary to prevent unnecessary proliferation under wound-healing conditions.
Conclusion
The study shows that At2-MMP is crucial for controlling cell division during wound healing in plants. At the site of injury, At2-MMP inhibits abnormal cell proliferation which help plants to sustain their mechanical performance and retain function during wound repair. Such research illuminates the complex survival tactics employed by sessile plants, a process that may provide deeper insights into plant regeneration and could be useful in consumption-based agriculture.
