Disruption of Cortical Microtubules by Overexpression of Green Fluorescent Protein-Tagged a-Tubulin 6 Causes a Marked Reduction in Cell Wall Synthesis

It has been known that the transverse orientation of cortical microtubules （MTs） along the elongation axis is essential for normal cell morphogenesis, but whether cortical MTs are essential for normal cell wall synthesis is still not clear. In the present study, we have investigated whether cortical MTs affect cell wall synthesis by direct alteration of the cortical MT organization in Arabidopsis thaliana. Disruption of the cortical MT organization by expression of an excess amount of green fluorescent protein-tagged a-tubulin 6 （GFP-TUA6） in transgenic Arabidopsis plants was found to cause a marked reduction in cell wall thickness and a de- crease in the cell wall sugars glucose and xylose. Concomitantly, the stem strength of the GFP-TUA6 overexpressors was markedly reduced compared with the wild type. In addition, expression of excess GFP- TUA6 results in an alteration in cell morphogenesis and a severe effect on plant growth and development. Together, these results suggest that the proper organization of cortical MTs is essential for the normal synthesis of plant cell walls.

ABNORMAL SHOOT 6 interacts with KATANIN 1 and SHADE AVOIDANCE 4 to promote cortical microtubule severing and ordering in Arabidopsis

Plant interphase cortical microtubules(cMTs)mediate anisotropic cell expansion in response to environmental and developmental cues.In Arabidopsis thaliana,KATANIN 1(KTN1),the p60 catalytic subunit of the conserved MT-severing enzyme katanin,is essential for cMT ordering and anisotropic cell expansion.However,the regulation of KTN1-mediated cMT severing and ordering remains unclear.In this work,we report that the Arabidopsis IQ67 DOMAIN(IQD)family gene ABNORMAL SHOOT 6(ABS6)encodes a MT-associated protein.Overexpression of ABS6 leads to elongated cotyledons,directional pavement cell expansion,and highly ordered transverse cMT arrays.Genetic suppressor analysis revealed that ABS6-mediated cMT ordering is dependent on KTN1 and SHADE AVOIDANCE 4(SAV4).Live imaging of cMT dynamics showed that both ABS6 and SAV4 function as positive regulators of cMT severing.Furthermore,ABS6 directly interacts with KTN1 and SAV4 and promotes their recruitment to the cMTs.Finally,analysis of loss-of-function mutant combinations showed that ABS6,SAV4,and KTN1 work together to ensure the robust ethylene response in the apical hook of dark-grown seedlings.Together,our findings establish ABS6 and SAV4 as positive regulators of cMT severing and ordering,and highlight the role of cMT dynamics in fine-tuning differential growth in plants.

Regulation of developmental and environmental signaling by interaction between microtubules and membranes in plant cells

Cell division and expansion require the ordered arrangement of microtubules, which are subject to spatial and temporal modifications by developmental and environmental factors. Understanding how signals translate to changes in cortical microtubule organization is of fundamental importance. A defining feature of the cortical microtubule array is its association with the plasma membrane; modules of the plasma membrane are thought to play important roles in the mediation of microtubule organization. In this review, we highlight advances in research on the regulation of cortical microtubule organization by membrane-associated and membrane-tethered proteins and lipids in response to phytohormones and stress. The transmembrane kinase receptor Rho-like guanosine triphosphatase, phospholipase D, phosphatidic acid, and phosphoinositides are discussed with a focus on their roles in microtubule organization.

PP2A interacts with KATANIN to promote microtubule organization and conical cell morphogenesis

The organization of the microtubule cytoskeleton is critical for cell and organ morphogenesis.The evolutionarily conserved microtubule-severing enzyme KATANIN plays critical roles in microtubule organization in the plant and animal kingdoms.We previously used conical cell of Arabidopsis thaliana petals as a model system to investigate cortical microtubule organization and cell morphogenesis and determined that KATANIN promotes the formation of circumferential cortical microtubule arrays in conical cells.Here,we demonstrate that the conserved protein phosphatase PP2A interacts with and dephosphorylates KATANIN to promote the formation of circumferential cortical microtubule arrays in conical cells.KATANIN undergoes cycles of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation.Using co-immunoprecipitation coupled with mass spectrometry,we identified PP2A subunits as KATANIN-interacting proteins.Further biochemical studies showed that PP2 A interacts with and dephosphorylates KATANIN to stabilize its cellular abundance.Similar to the katanin mutant,mutants for genes encoding PP2A subunits showed disordered cortical microtubule arrays and defective conical cell shape.Taken together,these findings identify PP2A as a regulator of conical cell shape and suggest that PP2A mediates KATANIN phospho-regulation during plant cell morphogenesis.

How do Plants Organize Microtubules Without a Centrosome?

A microtubule nucleates from a γ-tubuUn complex, which consists of γ-tubulin, proteins from the SPC971SPC98 family, and the WD40 motif protein GCP-WD. We analyzed the phylogenetic relationships of the genes encoding these proteins and found that the components of this complex are widely conserved among land plants and other eukaryotes. By contrast, the interphase and mitotic arrays of microtubules in land plants differ from those in other eukaryotes. In the interphase cortical array, the majority of microtubules nucleate on existing microtubules in the absence of conspicuous microtubule organizing centers （MTOCs）, such as a centrosome. During mitosis, the spindle also forms in the absence of conspicuous MTOCs. Both poles of the spindle are broad, and branched structures of microtubules called microtubule converging centers form at the poles. In this review, we hypothesize that the microtubule converging centers form via microtubule-dependent microtubule nucleation, as in the case of the interphase arrays. The evolutionary insights arising from the molecular basis of the diversity in microtubule organization are discussed.

Single Molecule Analysis of the Arabidopsis FRA1 Kinesin Shows that It Is a Functional Motor Protein with Unusually High Processivity

The Arabidopsis FRA1 kinesin contributes to the organization of cellulose microfibrils through an unknown mechanism. The cortical localization of this kinesin during interphase raises the possibility that it transports cell wallrelated cargoes along cortical microtubules that either directly or indirectly influence cellulose microfibril patterning. To determine whether FRA1 is an authentic motor protein, we combined bulk biochemical assays and single molecule fluorescence imaging to analyze the motor properties of recombinant, GFP-tagged FRA1 containing the motor and coiled-coil domains （designated as FRAI（707）-GFP）. We found that FRAI（707）-GFP binds to microtubules in an ATP-dependent manner and that its ATPase activity is dramatically stimulated by the presence of microtubules. Using single molecule studies, we found that FRAI（707）-GFP moves processively along microtubule tracks at a velocity of about 0.4 μm s-1. In addition, we found that FRAI（707）-GFP is a microtubule plus-end-directed motor and that it moves along microtubules as a dimer. Interestingly, our single molecule analysis shows that the processivity of FRAI（707）-GFP is at least twice the processivity of conventional kinesin, making FRA1 the most processive kinesin to date. Together, our data show that FRA1 is a bona fide motor protein that has the potential to drive Iong-distance transport of cargo along cortical microtubules.

Growth asymmetry precedes differential auxin response during apical hook initiation in Arabidopsis

The development of a hook-like structure at the apical part of the soil-emerging organs has fascinated botanists for centuries,but how it is initiated remains unclear.Here,we demonstrate with highthroughput infrared imaging and 2-D clinostat treatment that,when gravity-induced root bending is absent,apical hook formation still takes place.In such scenarios,hook formation begins with a de novo growth asymmetry at the apical part of a straightly elongating hypocotyl.Remarkably,suchde novo asymmetric growth,but not the following hook enlargement,precedes the establishment of a detectable auxin response asymmetry,and is largely independent of auxin biosynthesis,transport and signaling.Moreover,we found that functional cortical microtubule array is essential for the following enlargement of hook curvature.When microtubule array was disrupted by oryzalin,the polar localization of PIN proteins and the formation of an auxin maximum became impaired at the to-be-hook region.Taken together,we propose a more comprehensive model for apical hook initiation,in which the microtubuledependent polar localization of PINs may mediate the instruction of growth asymmetry that is either stochastically taking place,induced by gravitropic response,or both,to generate a significant auxin gradient that drives the full development of the apical hook.