The Influence of Plasmodesmata Number and Opening State on Molecular Transports in Plants

Molecular Communication (MC) studies the transport of information encoded in signaling molecules. To date, its application field is mainly restrained to health-related uses. However, MC in plants has been gaining increasing interest. The primary transport route in plant cell-to-cell communication are Plasmodesmata (PDs), pore-like structures dotting the plant cell wall. PDs opening state is influenced by several environmental damaging factors (i.e., plant viruses), and plant cells try to restore homeostasis through defense mechanisms. In this letter, we seek to depict the complexity of plant-based communication, and we propose a simple model that proves the influence of the PDs number and opening state in the transport of information in plants.