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A Method for Characterizing Embryogenesis in Arabidopsis
Published on: August 4, 2017
Arabidopsis α Aurora kinases function in formative cell division plane orientation
Daniël Van Damme1, Bert De Rybel, Gustavo Gudesblat
1Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium. daniel.vandamme@psb.vib-ugent.be
The Plant Cell
|November 3, 2011
Summary
Plant alpha Aurora (AUR) kinases, AUR1 and AUR2, are crucial for regulating cell division plane orientation. A double mutant (aur1-2 aur2-2) shows defects in lateral root formation and other developmental processes due to misoriented cell divisions.
Area of Science:
- Plant Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Genetics
Background:
- Plant organogenesis relies on precisely regulated cell division plane orientation.
- Mechanisms controlling cell division plane reorientation remain largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of Arabidopsis thaliana group α Aurora (AUR) kinases in cell division plane orientation.
- To characterize the function of AUR1 and AUR2 in plant development.
Main Methods:
- Generation and analysis of a viable double knockdown mutant (aur1-2 aur2-2) in Arabidopsis thaliana.
- Phenotypic analysis of lateral root formation, embryogenesis, stem cell niches, and stomata development.
- Complementation assays to assess functional divergence of AUR kinases.
Main Results:
- The aur1-2 aur2-2 mutant exhibits defects in lateral root primordia formation, characterized by randomly oriented cell divisions and misoriented cell plates.
- Cytokinesis defects and misoriented cell plates were observed during initial pericycle cell divisions for lateral root development.
- AUR1 and AUR2 are functionally divergent from AUR3, with AUR1 acting before cytokinesis in division plane orientation.
- Mutants display defects in orienting formative divisions during embryogenesis, root stem cell niche maintenance, and stomata formation.
Conclusions:
- Group α Aurora kinases (AUR1 and AUR2) play a central role in regulating formative cell division plane orientation across various developmental stages in Arabidopsis.
- These findings elucidate a key mechanism underlying the precise control of cell division orientation essential for plant development.
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