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Symplasmic Transport in Wood: The Importance of Living Xylem Cells

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Symplasmic Transport in Vascular Plants

Abstract

Short- and long-distance transport in woody plants is performed within two different systems of apoplasm and symplasm. Although the apoplasmic route of transport via dead conductive elements dominates in trees, the presence of interconnected living cells in xylem suggests the involvement of the symplasmic route in the transportation and communication processes occurring in wood. In this chapter, an attempt will be made to demonstrate and review the numerous functions of living xylem cells and the role of symplasmic transport in the secondary xylem of seed plants. The anatomical and ultrastructural characteristics of xylem parenchyma, reflecting the participation of living cells in the accumulation and distribution of stored compounds via symplasmic routes, will be presented. The involvement of living xylem parenchyma cells in the aspects of sugar transport and exchange at the symplasm/apoplasm interface, embolism repair, defense mechanisms against vascular pathogenic infection, and differentiation processes of xylem elements will be reviewed to emphasize the crucial impact of symplasmic transport and communication processes, via plasmodesmata, on integration and proper functioning of trees.

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Acknowledgements

I wish to thank the colleagues from the Department of Plant Developmental Biology, University of Wrocław, Poland, for their discussions and especially Drs. E. Gola, E. Myśkow, and A. Dolzblasz for critical reading of the manuscript. Financial support came from the University of Wrocław, Poland (No. 2776/W/IBR/07).

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  1. Department of Plant Developmental Biology, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wrocław, Kanonia 6/8, Wroclaw, 50-328, Poland

    Katarzyna Sokołowska Ph.D.

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Correspondence to Katarzyna Sokołowska Ph.D. .

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  1. Dept. Plant Morphology and Development, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland

    Katarzyna Sokołowska

  2. Dept. of Plant Molecular Ecophysiology Faculty of Botany, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland

    Paweł Sowiński

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Sokołowska, K. (2013). Symplasmic Transport in Wood: The Importance of Living Xylem Cells. In: Sokołowska, K., Sowiński, P. (eds) Symplasmic Transport in Vascular Plants. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7765-5_4

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