title: Arabidopsis α Aurora kinases function in formative cell division plane orientation.
abstract: To establish three-dimensional structures/organs, plant cells continuously have to adapt the orientation of their division plane in a highly regulated manner. However, mechanisms underlying switches in division plane orientation remain elusive. Here, we characterize a viable double knockdown mutant in Arabidopsis thaliana group α Aurora (AUR) kinases, AUR1 and AUR2, (aur1-2 aur2-2), with a primary defect in lateral root formation and outgrowth. Mutant analysis revealed that aur1-2 aur2-2 lateral root primordia are built from randomly oriented cell divisions instead of distinct cell layers. This phenotype could be traced back to cytokinesis defects and misoriented cell plates during the initial anticlinal pericycle cell divisions that give rise to lateral root primordia. Complementation assays showed that the Arabidopsis α group Aurora kinases are functionally divergent from the single β group member AUR3 and that AUR1 functions in division plane orientation prior to cytokinesis. In addition to defective lateral root patterning, aur1-2 aur2-2 plants also show defects in orienting formative divisions during embryogenesis, divisions surrounding the main root stem cell niche, and divisions surrounding stomata formation. Taken together, our results put forward a central role for α Aurora kinases in regulating formative division plane orientation throughout development.
authors: Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium. daniel.vandamme@psb.vib-ugent.be
authors: Daniël
authors: D
authors: Van Damme
authors: Bert
authors: B
authors: De Rybel
authors: Gustavo
authors: G
authors: Gudesblat
authors: Dmitri
authors: D
authors: Demidov
authors: Wim
authors: W
authors: Grunewald
authors: Ive
authors: I
authors: De Smet
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Houben
authors: Tom
authors: T
authors: Beeckman
authors: Eugenia
authors: E
authors: Russinova
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002455:Cell Division; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D008677:Metaphase / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012639:Seeds / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C504614:AUR1 protein, Arabidopsis; C504615:AUR2 protein, Arabidopsis; C504616:AUR3 protein, Arabidopsis; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases