Programmed Cell Death (PCD) Regulation Related to Development in Plant

Programmed cell death (PCD) is a fundamental cellular process that has adopted a plethora of vital functions in multicellular organisms. Such phenomenon is associated with recovery of cellular compounds and sustaining plant life. Basic morphological and biochemical features of PCD are believed to be conserved in both plants and animals. Nevertheless, recent studies demonstrate an involvement of organelles such as vacuole and chloroplast in plant cell death regulation, indicating that plants evolved own cell death machinery. The importance of understanding PCD signaling pathways, with their elicitors and effectors, is in order to improve plant productivity and resistance to environmental stresses. This article describes some of the fundamental characteristics of plant dPCD and raises points that may lead to a better understanding and novel strategies for plant molecular breeding.