质外体——决定植物细胞发育命运的重要信号源

Apoplast is a special extracellular structure of the plant cell. In recent years, apoplast had been revealed as a powerful signal source that could determine the fate of cell development. Some novel polypeptide molecules in the apoplast, the signal molecules induced by the pathogenic infection or wound, and other extracellular signal molecules, like cAMP, calmodulin, part components of extracellular matrix (ECM), all of them were found to be present in the apoplast. More important, it is also proved that they play a very important role for intercellular communication, interaction between cells and determination of the cell fate during development.