Single-Cell Confinement Methods to Study Plant Cytoskeleton.

Progress in cytoskeletal research in animal systems has been accompanied by the development of single-cell systems (e.g., fibroblasts in culture).

FERONIA and microtubules independently contribute to mechanical integrity in the Arabidopsis shoot.

To survive, cells must constantly resist mechanical stress. In plants, this involves the reinforcement of cell walls, notably through microtubule-dependent cellulose deposition. How wall sensing might contribute to this response is unknown.

Cortical tension overrides geometrical cues to orient microtubules in confined protoplasts.

In plant cells, cortical microtubules (CMTs) generally control morphogenesis by guiding cellulose synthesis. CMT alignment has been proposed to depend on geometrical cues, with microtubules aligning with the cell long axis in silico and in vitro. Yet, CMTs are usually transverse in vivo, i.