Welcome to the new version of CaltechAUTHORS. Login is currently restricted to library staff. If you notice any issues, please email coda@library.caltech.edu
Published August 19, 2022 | public
Journal Article

Tethering of cellulose synthase to microtubules dampens mechano-induced cytoskeletal organization in Arabidopsis pavement cells

Abstract

Mechanical forces control development in plants and animals, acting as cues in pattern formation and as the driving force of morphogenesis. In mammalian cells, molecular assemblies residing at the interface of the cell membrane and the extracellular matrix play an important role in perceiving and transmitting external mechanical signals to trigger physiological responses. Similar processes occur in plants, but there is little understanding of the molecular mechanisms and their genetic basis. Here, we show that the number and movement directions of cellulose synthase complexes (CSCs) at the plasma membrane vary during initial stages of development in the cotyledon epidermis of Arabidopsis, closely mirroring the microtubule organization. Uncoupling microtubules and CSCs resulted in enhanced microtubule co-alignment as caused by mechanical stimuli driven either by cell shape or by tissue-scale physical perturbations. Furthermore, micromechanical perturbation resulted in depletion of CSCs from the plasma membrane, suggesting a possible link between cellulose synthase removal from the plasma membrane and microtubule response to mechanical stimuli. Taken together, our results suggest that the interaction of cellulose synthase with cortical microtubules forms a physical continuum between the cell wall, plasma membrane and the cytoskeleton that modulates the mechano-response of the cytoskeleton.

Additional Information

We thank J. Traas (RDP, Lyon) for critical reading of the manuscript. This work was supported by the project SHAPENET, 031L0177B, of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research grants to A.S. R.S. acknowledges Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft grant 453188536. The Meyerowitz Laboratory was supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. This article is subject to HHMI's Open Access to Publications policy. HHMI lab heads have previously granted a nonexclusive CC BY 4.0 license to the public and a sublicensable license to HHMI in their research articles. Pursuant to those licenses, the author-accepted manuscript of this article can be made freely available under a CC BY 4.0 license immediately upon publication. Funding: Open access funding provided by Max Planck Society.

Additional details

Created:
August 22, 2023
Modified:
December 22, 2023