Abstract

Cell morphogenesis encompasses all processes required to establish a three-dimensional cell shape. Cells acquire the architecture specific to their developmental context by using the spatial information provided by internal or external cues. As a response to these signals, cells become reorganized and establish functionally distinct subcellular domains that ultimately lead to morphological changes. In its simplest form, cell morphogenesis results in the establishment of asymmetry along one axis, a cell polarity. Although cell polarity has been studied intensively in budding yeast and epithelial cells, little is known about more complex modes of cell morphogenesis involving multiple axes. In this review we compare the regulation of cell morphogenesis of different genetically well-characterized cell types in Arabidopsis thaliana. BioEssays 20:20–29, 1998. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.