Plasmodesmata formation and cell-to-cell transport are reduced in decreased size exclusion limit 1 during embryogenesis in Arabidopsis.

In plants, plasmodesmata (PD) serve as channels for micromolecular and macromolecular cell-to-cell transport. Based on structure, PD in immature tissues are classified into two types, simple and branched (X- and Y-shaped) or twinned. The maximum size of molecules capable of PD transport defines PD aperture, known as the PD size exclusion limit. Here we report an Arabidopsis mutation, decreased size exclusion limit1 (dse1), that exhibits reduced cell-to-cell transport of the small (524 Da) fluorescent tracer 8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid at the midtorpedo stage of embryogenesis. Correspondingly, the fraction of X- and Y-shaped and twinned PD was reduced in dse1 embryos compared with WT embryos at this stage, suggesting that the frequency of PD is related to transport capability. dse1 is caused by a point mutation in At4g29860 (previously termed TANMEI) at the last donor splice site of its transcript, resulting in alternative splicing in both the first intron and the last intron. AtDSE1 is a conserved eukaryotic 386-aa WD-repeat protein critical for Arabidopsis morphogenesis and reproduction. Similar to its homologs in mouse, null mutants are embryo-lethal. The weak loss-of-function mutant dse1 exhibits pleiotropic phenotypes, including retarded vegetative growth, delayed flowering time, dysfunctional male and female organs, and delayed senescence. Finally, silencing of DSE1 in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves leads to reduced movement of GFP fused to tobacco mosaic virus movement protein. Thus, DSE1 is important for regulating PD transport between plant cells.