Patterning mechanisms of cytoskeletal and cell wall systems during leaf trichome morphogenesis

The plant actin cytoskeleton is an unstable network of filaments that influences polarized growth through poorly understood mechanisms. Here, we used a combination of live cell imaging and finite element computational modelling of Arabidopsis trichome morphogenesis to determine how the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons cooperate to pattern the cell wall and growth. The actin-related protein (ARP)2/3 complex generates an actin meshwork that operates within a tip-localized, microtubule-depleted zone to modulate cell wall anisotropy locally. The actin meshwork also positions an actin bundle network that organizes organelle flow patterns. This activity is required to maintain cell wall thickness gradients that enable tip-biased diffuse growth. These newly discovered couplings between cytoskeletal patterns and wall textures provide important insights into the cellular mechanism of growth control in plants.