Question

Difference between healthy plant cell cycle and infected plant cell cycle

Answer 1

Cell Cycle in Health and Disease

The events of the cell cycle are masterpieces of molecular engineering, employing distinct machineries (such as DNA polymerases for replication, the microtubule spindle for segregation, and actin and myosin fibers for cytokinesis) to generate two cells from one. These machineries are governed by a biochemical clock that is in turn controlled by exquisitely tuned signaling pathways processing information from both inside and outside the cell to ensure the correct order of events and to allow proliferation only when it is appropriate for the organism. Derangements of cell cycle control pathways by mutations in somatic cells make an important contribution to disease, and in particular to cancer. Mutations that uncouple cell cycle progression from its normal requirement for hormones or anchorage cause uncontrolled proliferation, while mutations that cripple checkpoint controls can cause cells with damaged DNA to proceed with DNA replication or cells with unattached chromosomes to proceed through chromosome segregation, dramatically accelerating the rate at which the cells acquire more mutations, and increasing the chance that they will become malignant. Thus, understanding the cell cycle in full molecular detail remains an important goal in combating disease as well as a fascinating study in its own right.