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The making of a ring: Assembly and regulation of microtubule-associated proteins during preprophase band formation

Pradeep Dahiya1, Katharina Bürstenbinder1

  • 1Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Dept. of Molecular Signal Processing, 06120 Halle/Saale, Germany.

Current Opinion in Plant Biology
|April 17, 2023
PubMed

Insights

The preprophase band (PPB) is crucial for plant cell division. Key microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs), TON1 RECRUITMENT MOTIF (TRM) and IQ67 DOMAIN (IQD) families, regulate PPB formation and division plane orientation.

Area of Science:

  • Plant cell biology
  • Cytokinesis
  • Mitosis

Background:

  • The preprophase band (PPB) is a transient structure marking the future division plane in plant cells.
  • It's a cortical ring of microtubules, actin, and proteins essential for cell division.
  • Positional information is maintained by the cortical division zone (CDZ) after PPB disassembly.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) in PPB formation and division plane orientation.
  • To identify key regulators of PPB assembly and function in plants.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of plant-specific MAPs, specifically TON1 RECRUITMENT MOTIF (TRM) and IQ67 DOMAIN (IQD) families.
  • Investigating physical and genetic interactions between MAPs and other proteins like KATANIN1.
  • Studying the structural properties of TRM and IQD families as disordered scaffold proteins.

Main Results:

  • TRM and IQD families are identified as key regulators of PPB formation.
  • These MAPs interact with multiple partners, including KATANIN1, a microtubule-severing protein.
  • Disordered scaffold protein characteristics suggest a role in coordinating PPB dynamics.

Conclusions:

  • TRM and IQD families are critical for robust division plane orientation in plants.
  • Interactions mediated by these MAPs provide a molecular framework for PPB coordination.
  • Understanding these MAPs advances knowledge of plant cytokinesis and mitosis.

Keywords:
Cell divisionDivision plane positioningIntrinsic disorderMicrotubule-associated proteinsPreprophase bandScaffolds

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