Functional links between microtubules, autophagy and leaf starch degradation in plants.
Mounting evidence suggests that microtubules play important roles in several aspects of autophagy in mammalian cells, such as autophagosome biogenesis, autophagosome trafficking and autolysosome formation. However, little research attention has been paid to the engagement of microtubules in plant autophagy. Recently, we reported novel findings in Nicotiana benthamiana that disruption of microtubules reduces autophagosome formation during upregulation of macroautophagy and triggers a specific type of chloroplast autophagy (SEX chlorophagy), which is closely associated with the starch-excess phenotype of leaves. These findings reveal important functional links between microtubules, autophagy and leaf starch degradation in plants.
a Center for Plant Biology and MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University , Beijing , China.
Yan
Y
Wang
a Center for Plant Biology and MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University , Beijing , China.
Xiyin
X
Zheng
a Center for Plant Biology and MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University , Beijing , China.
Yule
Y
Liu
D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology*; D000071186:Beclin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000378:metabolism; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism*; D013213:Starch / Q000378:metabolism*; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000378:metabolism
D000071186:Beclin-1; D013213:Starch
ATG6; chloroplast autophagy; leaf starch degradation; macroautophagy; microtubules; plants