Cell Separation in Plants: Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Nato ASI Subseries H:)

This volume collates the contributions made to the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Signals for Cell Separation in Plants. It covers phenomena of complete and partial loss of cell adhesion during ripening of fruits, shedding of plant parts, air cavity formation, sloughing of root caps and through pathogenic infection. Molecular biology of changing gene expression, cell wall structure and composition, enzymology, target cell specifications and analysis of model cell culture systems are linked with anatomical, cellular, immunochemical and ultrastructural summaries to provide an up-to-date and in-depth analysis of operating controls in cell-cell dissociation. The book presents a background for the improvement of plants in horticulture and agriculture and the first integrated account of the relevant basic sciences describing the nature of cell contacts and the events that signal the loss of cell adhesion.