title: The Arabidopsis KLUNKER gene controls cell shape changes and encodes the AtSRA1 homolog.
abstract: The analysis of a group of seven trichome mutants in Arabidopsis, which all show distorted trichomes along with severe actin defects has revealed insight into the role of the actin cytoskeleton in cell shape control. Four of the corresponding genes encode components of a protein complex, the ARP2/3 complex that stimulates the production of 'fine actin' at active growth sites. In this study, we show that another member of the distorted group, KLUNKER (KLK), encodes the AtSRA1 homolog of Arabidopsis and that klk mutants show a similar range of cell shape defects to those of arp2/3 mutants. In animals, SRA1 regulates the activity of the ARP2/3-regulating WAVE-HSPC300 complex in a Rho-dependent manner. Our findings provide evidence that a Rho/ARP2/3 regulation pathway exists in plants.
authors.affiliation: Botanical Institute, University of Köln, Gyrhofstrasse 15, 50931, Koeln, Germany.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saedler
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: Moola
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mutondo
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hülskamp
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000235:genetics; D022081:Cell Surface Extensions / Q000235:genetics; D005091:Exons; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D007438:Introns; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C494965:PIR121 protein, Arabidopsis; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins