The Arabidopsis dynamin-related protein2 family is essential for gametophyte development

Clathrin-mediated membrane trafficking is critical for multiple stages of plant growth and development. One key component of clathrin-mediated trafficking in animals is dynamin, a polymerizing GTPase that plays both regulatory and mechanical roles. Other eukaryotes use various dynamin-related proteins (DRP) in clathrin-mediated trafficking. Plants are unique in the apparent involvement of both a family of classical dynamins (DRP2) and a family of dynamin-related proteins (DRP1) in clathrin-mediated membrane trafficking. Our analysis of drp2 insertional mutants demonstrates that, similar to the DRP1 family, the DRP2 family is essential for Arabidopsis thaliana development. Gametophytes lacking both DRP2A and DRP2B were inviable, arresting prior to the first mitotic division in both male and female gametogenesis. Mutant pollen displayed a variety of defects, including branched or irregular cell plates, altered Golgi morphology and ectopic callose deposition. Ectopic callose deposition was also visible in the pollen-lethal drp1c-1 mutant and appears to be a specific feature of pollen-defective mutants with impaired membrane trafficking. However, drp2ab pollen arrested at earlier stages in development than drp1c-1 pollen and did not accumulate excess plasma membrane or display other gross defects in plasma membrane morphology. Therefore, the DRP2 family, but not DRP1C, is necessary for cell cycle progression during early gametophyte development. This suggests a possible role for DRP2-dependent clathrin-mediated trafficking in the transduction of developmental signals in the gametophyte.