Table of Contents List of contributors Preface Pt. 1 The cytoskeleton: the machinery and key molecules 1 1 Microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins 3 2 Actin and actin-modulating proteins 32 Pt. 2 Fundamental cytoskeletal activities 81 3 Expanding beyond the great divide: the cytoskeleton and axial growth 83 4 Re-staging plant mitosis 116 5 Organelle movements: transport and positioning 148 6 The cell wall: a sensory panel for signal transduction 176 Pt. 3 The cytoskeleton and plant cell morphogenesis 205 7 Development of root hairs 207 8 Signaling the cytoskeleton in pollen tube germination and growth 240 9 Cytoskeletal requirements during Arabidopsis trichome development 265 10 Signaling and the cytoskeleton in guard cells 290 Index 318.

Annual Plant Reviews, Volume 10 The cytoskeleton is a dynamic filamentous structure composed of at least actin and microtubule networks. Actin and microtubules are no different structurally from their animal and fungal counterparts. However, the strategies of cell differentiation and development in plants require this network to respond appropriately to plant-specific developmental cues and to environmental factors. This book views the cytoskeleton from different perspectives but, on the whole, as a network composed of structural and regulatory proteins controlled by internal and external stimuli that result in different aspects of cell differentiation. This is a volume for researchers and professionals in plant biochemistry, cell biology and genetics.

The cytoskeleton is a dynamic filamentous structure composed of at least actin and microtubule networks. Actin and microtubules are no different structurally from their animal and fungal counterparts. However, the strategies of cell differentiation and development in plants require this network to respond appropriately to plant-specific developmental cues and to environmental factors. This book views the cytoskeleton from different perspectives but, on the whole, as a network composed of structural and regulatory proteins controlled by internal and external stimuli that result in different aspects of cell differentiation. This is a volume for researchers and professionals in plant biochemistry, cell biology and genetics.

Plant cells house highly dynamic cytoskeletal networks of microtubules and actin microfilaments. They constantly undergo remodeling to fulfill their roles in supporting cell division, enlargement, and differentiation. Following early studies on structural aspects of the networks, recent breakthroughs have connected them with more and more intracellular events essential for plant growth and development. Advanced technologies in cell biology (live-cell imaging in particular), molecular genetics, genomics, and proteomics have revolutionized this field of study. Stories summarized in this book may inspire enthusiastic scientists to pursue new directions toward understanding functions of the plant cytoskeleton. The Plant Cytoskeleton is divided into three sections: 1) Molecular Basis of the Plant Cytoskeleton; 2) Cytoskeletal Reorganization in Plant Cell Division; and 3) The Cytoskeleton in Plant Growth and Development. This book is aimed at serving as a resource for anyone who wishes to learn about the plant cytoskeleton beyond ordinary textbooks.

Essential processes in biology such as cell and nuclear division, development, intracellular transport and physiological response, rely on the perception of environmental and intracellular signals and their transduction to subcellular targets. The mechanisms by which these signals are received by cells and transduced towards the proper targets by cytoskeletal components constitute one of the most important and rapidly developing areas in modern plant biology. In addition, fundamentally important responses of plants to biotic and abiotic factors also involve signalling to and through the cytoskeleton, which helps explain the current interest of biotechnology in this field of fundamental research. Manipulation of cytoskeletal components, the microtubules and microfilaments, had, until recently, not been a priority issue for plant biotechnology. However, given the fundamental role of the cytoskeleton during plant growth and development, the potential for biotechnological applications is immense. The NATO Advanced Research Workshop, “The Plant Cytoskeleton: Genomic and Bioinformatic Tools for Biotechnology and Agriculture” was held in Yalta, Ukraine, from September 19 to 23, 2006 – which continued the tradition of the first two International Symposia “Plant Cytoskeleton: Molecular Keys for Biotechnology” (Yalta, Ukraine, 1998) and “The Plant Cytoskeleton: functional diversity and biotechnological implications” (Kiev, Ukraine, 2002).