Comment to Campanoni et al

On the Insidegelson (pp. 1367–1375) demonstrateAuxin Transport Guard Cell Surface Areathat two plant defense-related chemi-Synchronizes Division Guard cells must maintain the in- cals, notably jasmonic acid and sali-tegrity of the plasma membrane dur-Pattern cylic acid, also influence trichome pro-ing the large and relatively rapid duction. The results are interestingThe tobacco cell line VBI-0 (Nicoti- changes in volume they undergo. because salicylic acid and jasmonicana tabacum) provides a simple model Since plasma membranes are only acid are known to play key roles insystem to study the role of intercellu- about 5% elastic, stretching alone can- regulating the induction of other typeslar communication in patterning. In not be responsible for maintaining of herbivore resistance. Herbivorethis system, singular cells divide axi- membrane integrity. In this issue, damage and artificial wounding bothally to produce linear cell files of dis- Shope et al. (pp. 1314–1321) explore cause rapid increases in jasmonic acidtinct polarity. A curious feature of the question of what happens to the and, as the authors demonstrate, anthese cell files is that they almost al- plasma membrane of guard cells dur- increase in trichome production. Theways consist of an even number of ing a massive decrease in volume? jar1–1 mutant exhibited normalcells. In a strictly binary system of cell Does the guard cell protoplast simply trichome induction following treat-ndivision, ...