  The actin and microtubule cytoskeletons are vital structures for cell growth
and development across all species. While individual molecular mechanisms
underpinning actin and microtubule dynamics have been intensively studied,
principles that govern the cytoskeleton organization remain largely unexplored.
Here, we captured biologically relevant characteristics of the plant
cytoskeleton through a network-driven imaging-based approach allowing to
quantitatively assess dynamic features of the cytoskeleton. By introducing
suitable null models, we demonstrate that the plant cytoskeletal networks
exhibit properties required for efficient transport, namely, short average path
lengths and high robustness. We further show that these advantageous features
are maintained during temporal cytoskeletal re-arrangements. Interestingly,
man-made transportation networks exhibit similar properties, suggesting general
laws of network organization supporting diverse transport processes. The
proposed network-driven analysis can be readily used to identify organizational
principles of cytoskeletons in other organisms.
