Poster: Cytoskeleton: Structure & Function

Abs # 1119: FH-homology proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Presenter:	Bibikova, Tatiana N, txb119@psu.edu
Authors	Bibikova, Tatiana N (A)   MacCleery, Scott  (A)   Dowd, Peter E (A)   Gilroy, Simon  (A)
Affiliations:	(A): Penn State University

Polarizing events are central to plant development. For example axis formation during embyogenesis and the asymmetric development inherent in floral morphogenisis generate highly polarized structures. Both the microtubule and microfilament based cytoskeletons play an important role in this process. Understanding how the organization of the plant cytoskeleton is regulated in response to external and internal cues may therefore provide an insight into the processes underlying cell morphogenesis, polarization and division. Formins (FH-homology proteins) are present in almost all organisms and are known to be involved in regulation of both microfilament and microtubule assembly in animals and yeast. They are required for a diverse array of cellular functions, including establishment and maintenance of cellular polarity, mitosis and meiosis. However, their role in plants remains largely unstudied. The Arabidopsis thaliana genome contains at least 21 genes that are predicted to contain the FH-homology domain. Our analysis of formin T-DNA knockout mutants has found that, in plants lacking a sub-set of FH-homology proteins, development is altered as characterized by disrupted organ shape. This work was suppoted by grants from NSF and NASA.