Plasmodesmatalikna

Plasmodesmatalikna is a proposed term used in discussions of plant cell biology to describe a hypothetical class of intercellular channels that resemble plasmodesmata but possess distinct structural and regulatory features. The concept is mainly found in theoretical or speculative literature and is not broadly recognized as a confirmed cellular structure in standard plant physiology.

In structure, plasmodesmatalikna are envisioned as narrow cytoplasmic conduits that traverse plant cell walls, connecting cytoplasm of adjacent cells much like conventional plasmodesmata. A distinguishing feature proposed for plasmodesmatalikna is a specialized gating layer or protein lattice within the cytoplasmic sleeve, potentially coupled to an enhanced or modified desmotubule (the central ER-derived element). This arrangement could create a variable pore with a different size-exclusion profile and selective permeability for RNAs, proteins, and metabolites.

Functionally, plasmodesmatalikna are described as mediating symplastic transport with a capacity for rapid and directional regulation. Theoretical models suggest they could respond to developmental cues, hormonal signals, calcium fluxes, and stress conditions by altering conductance through changes in callose deposition or protein gate dynamics, thereby modifying the movement of signaling molecules between cells.

Current status and discovery are uncertain. Plasmodesmatalikna is not established as a confirmed cellular structure in widely cited experimental work and remains primarily a speculative concept or a terminological proposal used to discuss possible variants of intercellular connectivity in plants.

See also: plasmodesmata, symplastic transport, callose regulation.