Plant Myosins: Do They Have Roles In Gravi- And Mechanosensing?

Dynamic actin cytoskeleton and myosins, especially of the plant-specific class VIII, emerge as the most relevant candidates for plant gravi-and mechanosening as well as transduction of received physical signals into multitude of biological processes. Root apices are extremely sensitive to mechanical stimuli and show adaptive responses optimalizing root behaviour for their searching/avoidance and exploratory growth modes. Recently, the actin cytoskeleton and myosins have been proposed to participate in plant gravi- and mechanosening also via their roles in endocytosis and vesicle recycling, processes which are essential for the polar transport of auxin. Mechanosensitive endocytic vesicle recycling might act as an effective gravisensing system with a power to unite the two conflicting theories, Statolith-Starch Theory and Cholodny-Went Theory, under one umbrella – the unifying concept of gravisensing plant synapses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]