The mechanics of shaping organs in plants

Abstract

Mechanical forces are instrumental to shaping lifeforms, influencing development from the subcellular scale to the organismal scale. Here, we explore how mechanical forces manifest themselves in plants, driving deformations such as tissue folding, buckling, undulating patterns, and edge curving. These deformations result from modulations in fundamental cellular processes such as cell division, cell expansion, cell wall mechanics, and cytoskeletal organization. Cytoskeletal structure like microtubules, actin filaments respond to mechanical cues by generating localized stress patterns that shape cell structure and function. Mechanical forces can also regulate gene expression and gate mechanosensitive channels to regulate ion fluxes, thereby integrating physical forces with biochemical properties. We draw parallels between plant and animal kingdoms to show how these two kingdoms utilize mechanochemical effects to drive growth and morphogenesis.