Signal Perception and Transduction in Higher Plants

Presents recent data on the molecular mechanism involved in the response of plant cells to different stimuli, estimates the applicability of new techniques such as electrophysiology, cell imaging and DNA recombinant technology, and provides directions for future research.

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In contrast to animals, plants are immobile and cannot leave a drastically changed environment. Therefore, plants have developed specific strategies involving particular signal and transduction systems as well as a form of cellular organization that allows them to buffer against sudden changes in external conditions. This summary deals with recent data on the molecular mechanism involved in the response of plant cells to different stimuli; the critical domaine of ignorance such as the significance of site occupancy of receptors for growth substances; the estimation of the applicability of new techniques such as electrophysiology, cell imaging and DNA recombinant technology; and directions for future work.