Intercellular communication in plants plays a vital role in the co-ordination of processes leading to the formation of a functional organism. The signalling systems must function at a local level to co-ordinate events of cellular differentiation, over long distances to co-ordinate developmental and physiological responses in different parts of the plant, and they must even operate between separate individuals - for example, to control fertilization as part of the evolutionary strategy of a particular species. To cope with the diverse requirements for intercellular signalling, plants have evolved a spectrum of molecular mechanisms, and significant progress has been made over the last few years in our understanding of these processes.
This volume provides an overview of our current understanding of intercellular communication in plants, with an emphasis on those research areas showing significant recent progress and promise. It is directed at researchers and professionals in plant biochemistry, physiology, cell biology and molecular biology.