HSP90 and checkpoint-dependent lengthening of the G2 phase observed in plant cells under hypoxia and cold

Summary. Proliferating cells of Allium cepa L. roots became adapted to hypoxia (5% oxygen) and cold (10°C) by acquiring new steady-state kinetics of growth. The cell cycle time increased from the 17.6 h in control meristems up to 29.7 and 69.0 h under hypoxia and cold conditions, respectively. Acclimation of the proliferating cells was stress specific. No acclimation took place after 24 h of heat treatment (40°C). Under cold treatment, all cycle phases enlarged uniformly. However, under hypoxia, while the G₁ and S cycle phases roughly doubled in their timing, the expected checkpoint-dependent lengthening of G₂ did not take place. This failure in lengthening G₂ in response to hypoxia correlated with a failure in the overinduction of a single peptide with a molecular mass of about 134 kDa which is among those recognised by an HSP90 antibody. Moreover, the presence of this large peptide of the HSP90 family proved to be a marker for cell proliferation. It was always absent from the contiguous differentiated cells of the root. Lastly, the mitochondrial chaperonin recognized by an HSP60 antibody in these roots not involved in photosynthesis was always higher in the proliferating than in the nonproliferating cells.