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Emerging molecular mechanisms that power and regulate the anastral mitotic spindle of flowering plants

  1. Alex Bannigan†,
  2. Michelle Lizotte-Waniewski,
  3. Margaret Riley,
  4. Tobias I. Baskin*

Article first published online: 29 OCT 2007

DOI: 10.1002/cm.20247

Issue

Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton

Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton

Volume 65, Issue 1, pages 1–11, January 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Bannigan, A., Lizotte-Waniewski, M., Riley, M. and Baskin, T. I. (2008), Emerging molecular mechanisms that power and regulate the anastral mitotic spindle of flowering plants. Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton, 65: 1–11. doi: 10.1002/cm.20247

Author Information

  1. Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts

  1. †

    Biology Department, MSC 7801, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807

*Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 17 DEC 2007
  2. Article first published online: 29 OCT 2007
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 26 SEP 2007
  4. Manuscript Received: 18 JUL 2007

Funded by

  • U.S. Department of Energy. Grant Number: DE-FG02-03ER15421

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Keywords:

  • kinesin-5;
  • kinesin-14;
  • mitosis;
  • monopolar spindle;
  • phylogeny

Abstract

Flowering plants, lacking centrosomes as well as dynein, assemble their mitotic spindle via a pathway that is distinct visually and molecularly from that of animals and yeast. The molecular components underlying mitotic spindle assembly and function in plants are beginning to be discovered. Here, we review recent evidence suggesting the preprophase band in plants functions analogously to the centrosome in animals in establishing spindle bipolarity, and we review recent progress characterizing the roles of specific motor proteins in plant mitosis. Loss of function of certain minus-end-directed KIN-14 motor proteins causes a broadening of the spindle pole; whereas, loss of function of a KIN-5 causes the formation of monopolar spindles, resembling those formed when the homologous motor protein (e.g., Eg5) is knocked out in animal cells. We present a phylogeny of the kinesin-5 motor domain, which shows deep divergence among plant sequences, highlighting possibilities for specialization. Finally, we review information concerning the roles of selected structural proteins at mitosis as well as recent findings concerning regulation of M-phase in plants. Insight into the mitotic spindle will be obtained through continued comparison of mitotic mechanisms in a diversity of cells. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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