CYTOKINESIS IN HIGHER PLANTS

Cytokinesis partitions the cytoplasm between two or more nuclei. In higher plants, cytokinesis is initiated by cytoskeleton-assisted targeted delivery of membrane vesicles to the plane of cell division, followed by local membrane fusion to generate tubulo-vesicular networks. This initial phase of cytokinesis is essentially the same in diverse modes of plant cytokinesis whereas the subsequent transformation of the tubulo-vesicular networks into the partitioning membrane may be different between systems. This review focuses on membrane and cytoskeleton dynamics in cell platea transient membrane compartment that is formed by the fusion of cytokinetic vesicles and eventually matures into the plasma membranes and cross-wall between daughter cells formation and expansion during somatic cytokinesis.