PhD defence

The spatiotemporal control of cell divisions in Physcomitrella development

Summary:

Cell division is fundamental in the development of all living organisms. In plants, cells are caged in rigid cell walls, thus plant cell shape is solely determined by cell expansion and the orientation of the cell division plane. Additionally, a newly divided cell can acquire a different cell fate through an asymmetric cell division, which is essential for tissue innovations. During my PhD, I used Physcomitrella patens, a model moss system with powerful genetic toolkits and single-cell-layer tissues, to investigate cell division control in plant development. I unraveled a unique protein that bridges the cytoskeletal network and membranous compartments to complete cell division. During moss development, I identified markers that can predict the fate of newly divided cells, providing a new tool to investigate moss growth transition. I further investigated the role of polarity proteins in this growth transition and the interplay of cell reprogramming and cell division control.