A divergent cellular role for the FUSED kinase family in the plant-specific cytokinetic phragmoplast

Sung Aeong Oh, Andrew Johnson, Andrei Smertenko, Daisy Rahman, Soon Ki Park, Patrick J. Hussey, David Twell

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

89 Scopus citations

Abstract

The FUSED (FU) Ser/Thr protein kinase family has a key role in the hedgehog signaling pathway known to control cell proliferation and patterning in fruit flies and humans [1, 2]. The genomes of Arabidopsis thaliana and rice each encode a single Fu ortholog, but their role is unknown. Here, we show that cytokinesis-defective mutants, which we named two-in-one (tio), result from mutations in Arabidopsis Fu. Phenotypic analysis of tio mutants reveals an essential role for TIO in conventional modes of cytokinesis in plant meristems and during male gametogenesis. TIO also has a key role in nonconventional modes of cytokinesis (cellularization) during female gametogenesis. We demonstrate that TIO is tightly localized to the midline of the nascent phragmoplast and remains associated with the expanding phragmoplast ring. These data reveal the evolution of a divergent role for the Fu kinase family as an essential phragmoplast-associated protein that functions in different cell type-specific modes of cytokinesis in plants.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2107-2111
Number of pages5
JournalCurrent Biology
Volume15
Issue number23
DOIs
StatePublished - 6 Dec 2005

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