Cell polarity and PIN protein positioning in Arabidopsis require STEROL METHYLTRANSFERASE1 function

Plants have many polarized cell types, but relatively little is known about the mechanisms that establish polarity. The orc mutant was identified originally by defects in root patterning, and positional cloning revealed that the affected gene encodes STEROL METHYLTRANSFERASE1, which is required for the appropriate synthesis and composition of major membrane sterols. smt1(orc) mutants displayed several conspicuous cell polarity defects. Columella root cap cells revealed perturbed polar positioning of different organelles, and in the smt1(orc) root epidermis, polar initiation of root hairs was more randomized. Polar auxin transport and expression of the auxin reporter DR5-beta-glucuronidase were aberrant in smt1(orc). Patterning defects in smt1(orc) resembled those observed in mutants of the PIN gene family of putative auxin efflux transporters. Consistently, the membrane localization of the PIN1 and PIN3 proteins was disturbed in smt1(orc), whereas polar positioning of the influx carrier AUX1 appeared normal. Our results suggest that balanced sterol composition is a major requirement for cell polarity and auxin efflux in Arabidopsis.     

Cell plate restricted association of DRP1A and PIN proteins is required for cell polarity establishment in Arabidopsis

The polarized transport of the phytohormone auxin [1], which is crucial for the regulation of different stages of plant development [2, 3], depends on the asymmetric plasma membrane distribution of the PIN-FORMED (PIN) auxin efflux carriers [4,?5]. The PIN polar localization results from clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) from the plasma membrane and subsequent polar recycling [6]. The Arabidopsis genome encodes two groups of dynamin-related proteins (DRPs) that show homology to mammalian dynamin-a protein required for fission of endocytic vesicles during CME [7, 8]. Here we show by coimmunoprecipitation (coIP), bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC), and F?rster resonance energy transfer (FRET) that members of the DRP1 group closely associate with PIN proteins at the cell plate. Localization and phenotypic analysis of novel drp1 mutants revealed a requirement for DRP1 function in correct PIN distribution and in auxin-mediated development. We propose that rapid and specific internalization of PIN proteins mediated by the DRP1 proteins and the associated CME machinery from the cell plate membranes during cytokinesis is an important mechanism for proper polar PIN positioning in interphase cells.     

Compartmentalization of the cell cortex by septins is required for maintenance of cell polarity in yeast

Formation and maintenance of specialized plasma membrane domains are crucial for many biological processes, such as cell polarization and signaling. During isotropic bud growth, the yeast cell periphery is divided into two domains: the bud surface, an active site of exocytosis and growth, and the relatively quiescent surface of the mother cell. We found that cells lacking septins at the bud neck failed to maintain the exocytosis and morphogenesis factors Spa2, Sec3, Sec5, and Myo2 in the bud during isotropic growth. Furthermore, we found that septins were required for proper regulation of actin patch stability; septin-defective cells permitted to enter isotropic growth lost actin and growth polarity. We propose that septins maintain cell polarity by specifying a boundary between cortical domains.     

On the polarity of cellulose in the cell wall of Valonia

The orientation of the triclinic phase of cellulose in the cell wall of Valonia ventricosa J. Agardh was investigated by X-ray- and electron-diffraction analysis. In addition to the well-documented uniplanar-axial organization of the cell wall which requires that the a ^* axis should be always perpendicular to the wall surface, the direction of this axis was also found to be pointing outward from the plasma membrane side of the wall. This unidirectionality was persistent throughout the various layers that constitute the cell wall and also for the three microfibrillar orientations that occur in Valonia cell walls. The unidirectionality of the a ^* axis indicates, in particular, that the Valonia cellulose microfibrils are not twisted along their axis. These observations are consistent with a cellulose biosynthetic scheme where a close association exists between terminal-complex orientations and those of the cellulose microfibrils. In this context, the unidirectionality of the a ^* axis of cellulose seems to be related to the restricted mobility of the terminal complexes which are able to slide in the plasma membrane but not to rotate along their long axis.Abbreviations TC terminal complex This work was initiated during a visit of J.F.R at Grenoble in the framework of a France-Québec exchange program. J.S. was recipient of a CNRS fellowship. The diagram in Fig. 8 was kindly drawn for us by Miss Yukie Saito from the Department of Forest Products, the University of Tokyo.     

Cell polarity: PIN it down!

How do plants create and maintain cell polarity? Recent studies reveal a plant-specific mechanism, which links the static cellulose-based extracellular matrix to the dynamic localization of PIN auxin carrier proteins.     

Assessment of cell wall porosity in Arabidopsis thaliana by NMR spectroscopy

The impact of homogalacturonans deficiency on the cell wall porosity of Arabidopsis thaliana QUA1 mutant was investigated using NMR measurements of protons mobility interpreted in terms of pore size variations at nanometer and micrometer scales. Isolation and purification of wild type and mutant stems and calli cell walls permitted to exacerbate the putative impact of the mutation on cellulose-hemicelluloses assembly in highly and poorly organised cell walls, respectively. NMR relaxation measurements of water and exchangeable biopolymer protons and self-diffusion processes of polyethylene glycol in walls informed about the porosity network density and heterogeneity. The role of pectins and proteins as well as the growth status of the cells on the wall porosity regulation are discussed.     

Effects of cell wall synthesis on cell polarity in the red alga Porphyra yezoensis

Polarity is a fundamental cell property essential for differentiation, proliferation and morphogenesis in unicellular and multicellular organisms. We have recently demonstrated that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activity is required for the establishment of anterior-posterior axis, leading to asymmetrical localization of F-actin in migrating monospores of the red alga Porphyra yezoensis. We also showed that the formation of the apical-basal axis via adhesion of monospores to the substratum after the cessation of migration requires newly synthesized proteins and does not depend on PI3K activity. However, little is known about the mechanism and regulation of axis conversion during development of monospores. In this addendum, we report our investigation as to the role of the cell wall in axis conversion. Our results indicate that inhibition of cell wall synthesis prevented the development of germlings. Also, defects in the cell wall disrupted the asymmetrical distribution of F-actin and inhibited the adhesion to the substratum that is required for establishment of apical-basal axis. Hence, we conclude that the cell wall is critical for the maintenance of cell polarity in migrating cells, which is indirectly involved in axis conversion via enabling monospores to adhere to the substratum.Key words: BFA, cell polarity, cell wall, F-actin, monospores, PI3K, Porphyra yezoensisThe initial establishment of cell polarity, which is exhibited in asymmetrical cell division and directional migration, depends on asymmetrical cues that lead to reorganization of the cytoskeleton and polarized distribution of cortical proteins and membrane lipids.^1–3 For directional migration of Dictyostelium cells and leukocytes, cells in the axialized form can rapidly change their body shape along with the formation of cell polarity in response to external impulses such as cAMP and cytokines, enabling them to migrate toward the external impulse with driving and contractile forces provided by asymmetrically distributed cytoskeletal elements.^4,5 Evidence is growing that in both asymmetrical cell division and migration, intracellular compartmentalization of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and phosphatidylinositol polyphosphate phosphatases is responsible for the asymmetrical and reciprocal distributions of PI(3,4,5)P₃ and PI(4,5)P₂ on plasma membranes. This helps cells to define their polarity by organizing polarized localization of F-actin and myosin.^6–8We used the monospores of the red alga Porphyra yezoensis to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in the establishment of cell polarity in plants. Migration and asymmetrical cell division are both observed during the early development of monospores released from monosporangia produced at the marginal region of the thallus.^9,10 Thus, monospores are thought to be unique and useful materials for investigating polarity determination in plant cells. In the early development of monospores, there are two different cellular axes: the anterior-posterior axis during migration and the apical-basal axis in asymmetrical cell division and upward growth of a thallus. The use of {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"LY294002","term_id":"1257998346","term_text":"LY294002"}}LY294002, a PI3K inhibitor, prevented the migration of monospores because the anterior-posterior axis cannot be established. This is evidence that the PI3K activity is essential for the establishment of cell polarity and asymmetric distribution of F-actin for migration of monospores.¹⁰ Thus, the formation of the former axis requires PI3K activity and asymmetrical distribution of F-actin.¹⁰ These results are similar to those observed in Dictyostelium cells and leukocytes, suggesting that the role of PI3K-dependent F-actin asymmetry in the establishment of cell polarity might be evolutionarily conserved in migrating eukaryotic cells. However, it is still unclear whether PI(3,4,5)P₃ corresponds to D3-phosphorylated phosphatidylinositol in P. yezoensis, since this phosphoinositide has not yet been detected in any plant cell.^11,12In addition to D3-phosphorylated phosphatidylinositols, it is well known that the cell wall plays an essential role in the establishment of cell polarity, a phenomenon documented in the brown algae Fucus.^13–15 It has been demonstrated that the cell wall is required for the fixation, but not the formation, of the apical-basal axis.^13,14 In this case, polarized secretion via Golgi apparatus is needed for synthesis of the cell wall.¹⁵ In fact, we observed that monospores whose migration was inhibited by treatment with PI3K and cytoskeleton inhibitors have no cell wall,¹⁰ suggesting the importance of the cell wall in formation and/or maintenance of the cell axis in P. yezoensis.To confirm this possibility, we used Brefeldin A (BFA), a specific inhibitor of polysaccharide biosynthesis required for cell wall formation via Golgi-derived vesicle trafficking. As shown in Figure 1A, part a, the cell wall was synthesized during migration of monospores. However, when freshly released monospores were treated with BFA for 3 h, there was no cell wall synthesis in monospores with a rounded shape or in migrating monospores with a tapered shape (Fig. 1A, part b). This evidence led us to conclude that Golgi-derived vesicle trafficking is responsible for cell wall formation in these monospores. These results also indicated that the anterior-posterior axis during migration can be established without cell wall synthesis. Indeed, F-actin accumulated at the leading edge in the migrating monospores in the presence of BFA (Fig. 1A, part d).Open in a separate windowFigure 1Effect of BFA on the cell wall synthesis, F-actin localization and development of monospores. (A) Freshly released monospores were treated with (parts b–d) or without (part a) BFA (MP Biomedicals) at 20 µM for 3 h incubation. The cell wall (parts a and b) and F-actin (parts c and d) were stained with 0.01% Fluorescent Brightener 28 (Sigma) and 5 U· mL⁻¹ Alex Flour 488 phalloidin (Molecular probe), respectively. Migrating monospores are indicated by arrowheads. (Part c) Cell with a round shape, (Part d) cell with a tapered shape during migration. Upper and lower photographs in each panel show bright field and fluorescent images, respectively. Direction of migrating monospores is indicated by an arrow. Scale bars: (Parts a and b) 10 µm; (Parts c and d) 5 µm. (B) Freshly released monospores were treated with (parts b–d) or without (part a) BFA at 20 µM for 24 h incubation. The cell wall (parts a and b) and F-actin (parts c and d) were stained with 0.01% Fluorescent Brightener 28 and 5 U· mL⁻¹ Alex Flour 488 phalloidin, respectively. Migrating monospores are indicated by arrowheads. (Part c) Cell with a round shape, (Part d) cell with a tapered shape during migration. Upper and lower photographs in each panel show bright field and fluorescent images, respectively. Direction of migrating monospores is indicated by an arrow. Scale bars: (Parts a and b) 10 µm; (Parts c and d) 5 µm. (C) Dose-dependent effect of BFA on early development of monospores. Freshly released monospores were treated with an increasing concentration (2–20 µM) of BFA for 24 h, and the number of germlings was counted. Data are presented as mean ± SD (n = 3).Next, we analyzed the relationship between cell wall synthesis and development of germlings to confirm the functional significance of cell wall synthesis in the establishment of apical-basal axis. In the control medium, the cell wall was observed in 2-celled germlings 24 h after monospores release (Fig. 1B, part a), while the BFA-treated monospores still retained the migrating form in which the cell wall was not synthesized (Fig. 1B, part b) and the adhesion of monospores to the substratum and development of germlings was prevented (Fig. 1B, parts b–d). Moreover, the rate of the development of germlings from monospores decreased in a dose-dependent manner after 24 h incubation with BFA (Fig. 1C). Notably, it is significant that the polarized localization of F-actin in migrating cells was destroyed during BFA treatment (Fig. 1B, part d), suggesting the involvement of the cell wall in the maintenance of the asymmetrical distribution of F-actin in migrating monospores. Thus, the cell wall is indispensable for maintenance of anterior-posterior axis in migrating cells. Moreover, since adhering is trigger of the formation of the apical-basal axis, synthesis of cell wall could enable cells to develop further into germlings. We therefore concluded that cell wall plays a role indirectly in axis conversion during the development of monospores. Future work should be focused on the nature of the cell wall factors involved in the maintenance of cell axis and the adhesion to the substratum and how the function and expression of these factors are regulated.In summary, the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity during development of monospores is under complex regulation. Dissecting the molecular mechanisms of this regulatory system could help in further understanding the interrelation among PI3K signaling, the actin-based system and cell wall formation, which can provide new insight into the machinery regulating the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity in plants.     

Cell polarity in Arabidopsis trichomes

Arabidopsis leaf trichomes are unicellular hairs that display a highly characteristic cell form that has a fixed orientation with respect to the basal-distal leaf axis. The genetic, molecular and cell biological analysis of trichome morphogenesis reveal that various cellular processes need to be coordinated including regulation of the cell cycle, the cell size and the actin and tubulin cytoskeleton. Here we will focus on what is known about the establishment and maintenance of positional information during trichome formation.     

PIN1-Independent Leaf Initiation in Arabidopsis

Phyllotaxis, the regular arrangement of leaves and flowers around the stem, is a key feature of plant architecture. Current models propose that the spatiotemporal regulation of organ initiation is controlled by a positive feedback loop between the plant hormone auxin and its efflux carrier PIN-FORMED1 (PIN1). Consequently, pin1 mutants give rise to naked inflorescence stalks with few or no flowers, indicating that PIN1 plays a crucial role in organ initiation. However, pin1 mutants do produce leaves. In order to understand the regulatory mechanisms controlling leaf initiation in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) rosettes, we have characterized the vegetative pin1 phenotype in detail. We show that although the timing of leaf initiation in vegetative pin1 mutants is variable and divergence angles clearly deviate from the canonical 137° value, leaves are not positioned at random during early developmental stages. Our data further indicate that other PIN proteins are unlikely to explain the persistence of leaf initiation and positioning during pin1 vegetative development. Thus, phyllotaxis appears to be more complex than suggested by current mechanistic models.     

Dissection of Arabidopsis ADP-RIBOSYLATION FACTOR 1 function in epidermal cell polarity

Vesicle trafficking is essential for the generation of asymmetries, which are central to multicellular development. Core components of the vesicle transport machinery, such as ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF) GTPases, have been studied primarily at the single-cell level. Here, we analyze developmental functions of the ARF1 subclass of the Arabidopsis thaliana multigene ARF family. Six virtually identical ARF1 genes are ubiquitously expressed, and single loss-of-function mutants in these genes reveal no obvious developmental phenotypes. Fluorescence colocalization studies reveal that ARF1 is localized to the Golgi apparatus and endocytic organelles in both onion (Allium cepa) and Arabidopsis cells. Apical-basal polarity of epidermal cells, reflected by the position of root hair outgrowth, is affected when ARF1 mutants are expressed at early stages of cell differentiation but after they exit mitosis. Genetic interactions during root hair tip growth and localization suggest that the ROP2 protein is a target of ARF1 action, but its localization is slowly affected upon ARF1 manipulation when compared with that of Golgi and endocytic markers. Localization of a second potential target of ARF1 action, PIN2, is also affected with slow kinetics. Although extreme redundancy precludes conventional genetic dissection of ARF1 functions, our approach separates different ARF1 downstream networks involved in local and specific aspects of cell polarity.     

The role of secretory and endocytic pathways in the maintenance of cell polarity

Epithelial cells line virtually every organ cavity in the body and are important for vectorial transport through epithelial monolayers such as nutrient uptake or waste product excretion. Central to these tasks is the establishment of epithelial cell polarity. During organ development, epithelial cells set up two biochemically distinct plasma membrane domains, the apical and the basolateral domain. Targeting of correct constituents to each of these regions is essential for maintaining epithelial cell polarity. Newly synthesized transmembrane proteins destined for the basolateral or apical membrane domain are sorted into separate transport carriers either at the TGN (trans-Golgi network) or in perinuclear REs (recycling endosomes). After initial delivery, transmembrane proteins, such as nutrient receptors, frequently undergo multiple rounds of endocytosis followed by re-sorting in REs. Recent work in epithelial cells highlights the REs as a potent sorting station with different subdomains representing individual targeting zones that facilitate the correct surface delivery of transmembrane proteins.     

Glycosyl hydrolases of cell wall are induced by sugar starvation in Arabidopsis

Three Arabidopsis genes encoding a putative beta-galactosidase (At5g56870), beta-xylosidase (At5g49360) and beta-glucosidase (At3g60140) are induced by sugar starvation. The deduced proteins belong to the glycosyl hydrolase families 35, 3 and 1, respectively. They are predicted to be secretory proteins that play roles in modification of cell wall polysaccharides based on amino acid similarity. The beta-galactosidase encoded by At5g56870 was identified as a secretory protein in culture medium of suspension cells by mass spectrometry analysis. This protein was specifically detected under sugar-starved conditions with a specific antibody. Induction of these genes was repressed in suspension cells grown with galactose, xylose and glucose, as well as with sucrose. In planta, expression of the genes and protein accumulation were detected when photosynthesis was inhibited. Glycosyl hydrolase activity against galactan also increased during sugar starvation. The amount of monosaccharide in pectin and hemicellulose in detached leaves decreased in response to sugar starvation. These findings suggest that the cell wall may function as a storage reserve of carbon in addition to providing physical support for the plant body.     

Tobacco zygotic embryogenesis in vitro: the original cell wall of the zygote is essential for maintenance of cell polarity, the apical-basal axis and typical suspensor formation

We have developed a reliable in vitro zygotic embryogenesis system in tobacco. A single zygote of a dicotyledonous plant was able to develop into a fertile plant via direct embryogenesis with the aid of a co-culture system in which fertilized ovules were employed as feeders. The results confirmed that a tobacco zygote could divide in vitro following the basic embryogenic pattern of the Solanad type. The zygote cell wall and directional expansion are two critical points in maintaining apical-basal polarity and determining the developmental fate of the zygote. Only those isolated zygotes with an almost intact original cell wall could continue limited directional expansion in vitro, and only these directionally expanded zygotes could divide into typical apical and basal cells and finally develop into a typical embryo with a suspensor. In contrast, isolated zygote protoplasts deprived of cell walls could enlarge but could not directionally elongate, as in vivo zygotes do before cell division, even when the cell wall was regenerated during in vitro culture. The zygote protoplasts could also undergo asymmetrical division to form one smaller and one larger daughter cell, which could develop into an embryonic callus or a globular embryo without a suspensor. Even cell walls that hung loosely around the protoplasts appeared to function, and were closely correlated with the orientation of the first zygotic division and the apical-basal axis, further indicating the essential role of the original zygotic cell wall in maintaining apical-basal polarity and cell-division orientation, as well as subsequent cell differentiation during early embryo development in vitro.     

Functional properties of hepatocytes in vitro are correlated with cell polarity maintenance

Exploring the cell biology of hepatocytes in vitro could be a powerful strategy to dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying the structure and function of the liver in vivo. However, this approach relies on appropriate in vitro cell culture systems that can recapitulate the cell biological and metabolic features of the hepatocytes in the liver whilst being accessible to experimental manipulations. Here, we adapted protocols for high-resolution fluorescence microscopy and quantitative image analysis to compare two primary hepatocyte culture systems, monolayer and collagen sandwich, with respect to the distribution of two distinct populations of early endosomes (APPL1 and EEA1-positive), endocytic capacity, metabolic and signaling activities. In addition to the re-acquisition of hepatocellular polarity, primary hepatocytes grown in collagen sandwich but not in monolayer culture recapitulated the apico-basal distribution of EEA1 endosomes observed in liver tissue. We found that such distribution correlated with the organization of the actin cytoskeleton in vitro and, surprisingly, was dependent on the nutritional state in vivo. Hepatocytes in collagen sandwich also exhibited faster kinetics of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) internalization, showed improved insulin sensitivity and preserved their ability for glucose production, compared to hepatocytes in monolayer cultures. Although no in vitro culture system can reproduce the exquisite structural features of liver tissue, our data nevertheless highlight the ability of the collagen sandwich system to recapitulate key structural and functional properties of the hepatocytes in the liver and, therefore, support the usage of this system to study aspects of hepatocellular biology in vitro.     

Searching for new cell wall protein genes in Arabidopsis

The objective of this study was to test an approach that combines bioinformatic and subcellular localization analysis to identify novel cell wall protein genes in Arabidopsis. Proteins with unknown function in the Arabidopsis genome were first identified and scanned for the presence of N-terminal signal peptides. The signal peptide-containing function-unknown proteins were further analyzed to eliminate the ones containing other sequences, such as endoplasmic reticulum and vacuole retention signals, that may prevent a protein from secretion into cell walls. The top ten genes passing the bioinformatic analysis were selected for protein subcellular localization using green fluorescence protein (GFP) as a reporter. A vector was constructed for high throughput gene-GFP fusion protein generation and overexpression in Arabidopsis for gene function analysis. Transformants of six genes showed reasonable expression of GFP fusion protein. However, none of the transformants showed GFP localization in cell walls. The low rate of new cell wall protein discovery suggests that the number of unidentified cell wall proteins in the Arabidopsis genome may be small.