J.T.P. Albrechtová, J. Kolář (Institute of Experimental Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Praha, Czech Republic): Function of plasmodesmata in the intercellular communication of higher plants. - Biologické listy 61 (1): 49-58, 1996.

Plasmodesmata are specialized structures for cell-to cell communication in plant tissues. They form symplasmic connections between neighbor cells, as well as a membrane continuum of plazma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum. They occur in almost all tissue types in different amounts, depending on the type of the tissue, its age and physiological state. Distribution of plasmodesmata is related to the polarity of the cells and changes in cell-to-cell communication in development (e.g. in transition to flowering). Some structural and functional features of plasmodesmata are similar to that of animal gap junctions. Recent problems of interest are the transport of viruses through plasmodesmata which is related to the regulation of plasmodesmal transport, formation of secondary plasmodesmata, and phloem loading and unloading via modified plasmodesmata.