Phosphorylation of threonine 161 in plant cyclin-dependent kinase A is required for cell division by activation of its associated kinase

Regulation of cell cycle in plant gametes: when is the right time to divide?

Cell division is a fundamental process shared across diverse life forms, from yeast to humans and plants. Multicellular organisms reproduce through the formation of specialized types of cells, the gametes, which at maturity enter a quiescent state that can last decades. At the point of fertilization, signalling lifts the quiescent state and triggers cell cycle reactivation. Studying how the cell cycle is regulated during plant gamete development and fertilization is challenging, and decades of research have provided valuable, yet sometimes contradictory, insights. This Review summarizes the current understanding of plant cell cycle regulation, gamete development, quiescence, and fertilization-triggered reactivation.

Maize CDKA2;1a and CDKB1;1 kinases have different requirements for their activation and participate in substrate recognition

Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), in association with cyclins, control cell cycle progression by phosphorylating a large number of substrates. In animals, activation of CDKs regularly requires both the association with a cyclin and then phosphorylation of a highly conserved threonine residue in the CDK activation loop (the classical mechanism), mediated by a CDK-activating kinase (CAK). In addition to this typical mechanism of activation, some CDKs can also be activated by the association of a cyclin to a monomeric CDK previously phosphorylated by CAK although not all CDKs can be activated by this mechanism. In animals and yeast, cyclin, in addition to being required for CDK activation, provides substrate specificity to the cyclin/CDK complex; however, in plants both the mechanisms of CDKs activation and the relevance of the CDK-associated cyclin for substrate targeting have been poorly studied. In this work, by co-expressing proteins in E. coli, we studied maize CDKA2;1a and CDKB1;1, two of the main types of CDKs that control the cell cycle in plants. These kinases could be activated by the classical mechanism and by the association of CycD2;2a to a phosphorylated intermediate in its activation loop, a previously unproven mechanism for the activation of plant CDKs. Unlike CDKA2;1a, CDKB1;1 did not require CAK for its activation, since it autophosphorylated in its activation loop. Phosphorylation of CDKB1;1 and association of CycD2;2 was not enough for its full activation as association of maize CKS, a scaffolding protein, differentially stimulated substrate phosphorylation. Our results suggest that both CDKs participate in substrate recognition.

A complex role of Arabidopsis CDKD;3 in meiotic progression and cytokinesis

Meiosis is a specialized cell division that halves the number of chromosomes in two consecutive rounds of chromosome segregation. In angiosperm plants is meiosis followed by mitotic divisions to form rudimentary haploid gametophytes. In Arabidopsis, termination of meiosis and transition to gametophytic development are governed by TDM1 and SMG7 that mediate inhibition of translation. Mutants deficient in this mechanism do not form tetrads but instead undergo multiple cycles of aberrant nuclear divisions that are likely caused by the failure to downregulate cyclin dependent kinases during meiotic exit. A suppressor screen to identify genes that contribute to meiotic exit uncovered a mutation in cyclin-dependent kinase D;3 (CDKD;3) that alleviates meiotic defects in smg7 deficient plants. The CDKD;3 deficiency prevents aberrant meiotic divisions observed in smg7 mutants or delays their onset after initiation of cytokinesis, which permits formation of functional microspores. Although CDKD;3 acts as an activator of cyclin-dependent kinase A;1 (CDKA;1), the main cyclin dependent kinase that regulates meiosis, cdkd;3 mutation appears to promote meiotic exit independently of CDKA;1. Furthermore, analysis of CDKD;3 interactome revealed enrichment for proteins implicated in cytokinesis, suggesting a more complex function of CDKD;3 in cell cycle regulation.

A PSTAIRE-type cyclin-dependent kinase controls light responses in land plants

Light is a critical signal perceived by plants to adapt their growth rate and direction. Although many signaling components have been studied, how plants respond to constantly fluctuating light remains underexplored. Here, we showed that in the moss Physcomitrium (Physcomitrella) patens, the PSTAIRE-type cyclin-dependent kinase PpCDKA is dispensable for growth. Instead, PpCDKA and its homolog in Arabidopsis thaliana control light-induced tropisms and chloroplast movements by probably influencing the cytoskeleton organization independently of the cell cycle. In addition, lower PpCDKA kinase activity was required to elicit light responses relative to cell cycle regulation. Thus, our study suggests that plant CDKAs may have been co-opted to control multiple light responses, and owing to the bistable switch properties of PSTAIRE-type CDKs, the noncanonical functions are widely conserved for eukaryotic environmental adaptation.

Data-Independent Acquisition-Based Proteome and Phosphoproteome Profiling Reveals Early Protein Phosphorylation and Dephosphorylation Events in Arabidopsis Seedlings upon Cold Exposure

Protein phosphorylation plays an important role in mediating signal transduction in cold response in plants. To better understand how plants sense and respond to the early temperature drop, we performed data-independent acquisition (DIA) method-based mass spectrometry analysis to profile the proteome and phosphoproteome of Arabidopsis seedlings upon cold stress in a time-course manner (10, 30 and 120 min of cold treatments). Our results showed the rapid and extensive changes at the phosphopeptide levels, but not at the protein abundance levels, indicating cold-mediated protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation events. Alteration of over 1200 proteins at phosphopeptide levels were observed within 2 h of cold treatment, including over 140 kinases, over 40 transcriptional factors and over 40 E3 ligases, revealing the complexity of regulation of cold adaption. We summarized cold responsive phosphoproteins involved in phospholipid signaling, cytoskeleton reorganization, calcium signaling, and MAPK cascades. Cold-altered levels of 73 phosphopeptides (mostly novel cold-responsive) representing 62 proteins were validated by parallel reaction monitoring (PRM). In summary, this study furthers our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cold adaption in plants and strongly supports that DIA coupled with PRM are valuable tools in uncovering early signaling events in plants.

Connections between the Cell Cycle and the DNA Damage Response in Plants

Due to their sessile lifestyle, plants are especially exposed to various stresses, including genotoxic stress, which results in altered genome integrity. Upon the detection of DNA damage, distinct cellular responses lead to cell cycle arrest and the induction of DNA repair mechanisms. Interestingly, it has been shown that some cell cycle regulators are not only required for meristem activity and plant development but are also key to cope with the occurrence of DNA lesions. In this review, we first summarize some important regulatory steps of the plant cell cycle and present a brief overview of the DNA damage response (DDR) mechanisms. Then, the role played by some cell cycle regulators at the interface between the cell cycle and DNA damage responses is discussed more specifically.

Antimicrobial Peptides from Plants: A cDNA-Library Based Isolation, Purification, Characterization Approach and Elucidating Their Modes of Action

Even in a natural ecosystem, plants are continuously threatened by various microbial diseases. To save themselves from these diverse infections, plants build a robust, multilayered immune system through their natural chemical compounds. Among the several crucial bioactive compounds possessed by plants' immune systems, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) rank in the first tier. These AMPs are environmentally friendly, anti-pathogenic, and do not bring harm to humans. Antimicrobial peptides can be isolated in several ways, but recombinant protein production has become increasingly popular in recent years, with the Escherichia coli expression system being the most widely used. However, the efficacy of this expression system is compromised due to the difficulty of removing endotoxin from its system. Therefore, this review suggests a high-throughput cDNA library-based plant-derived AMP isolation technique using the Bacillus subtilis expression system. This method can be performed for large-scale screening of plant sources to classify unique or homologous AMPs for the agronomic and applied field of plant studies. Furthermore, this review also focuses on the efficacy of plant AMPs, which are dependent on their numerous modes of action and exceptional structural stability to function against a wide range of invaders. To conclude, the findings from this study will be useful in investigating how novel AMPs are distributed among plants and provide detailed guidelines for an effective screening strategy of AMPs.

CDKD-dependent activation of CDKA;1 controls microtubule dynamics and cytokinesis during meiosis

Precise control of cytoskeleton dynamics and its tight coordination with chromosomal events are key to cell division. This is exemplified by formation of the spindle and execution of cytokinesis after nuclear division. Here, we reveal that the central cell cycle regulator CYCLIN DEPENDENT KINASE A;1 (CDKA;1), the Arabidopsis homologue of Cdk1 and Cdk2, partially in conjunction with CYCLIN B3;1 (CYCB3;1), is a key regulator of the microtubule cytoskeleton in meiosis. For full CDKA;1 activity, the function of three redundantly acting CDK-activating kinases (CAKs), CDKD;1, CDKD;2, and CDKD;3, is necessary. Progressive loss of these genes in combination with a weak loss-of-function mutant in CDKA;1 allowed a fine-grained dissection of the requirement of cell-cycle kinase activity for meiosis. Notably, a moderate reduction of CDKA;1 activity converts the simultaneous cytokinesis in Arabidopsis, i.e., one cytokinesis separating all four meiotic products concurrently into two successive cytokineses with cell wall formation after the first and second meiotic division, as found in many monocotyledonous species.

The ATR-WEE1 kinase module inhibits the MAC complex to regulate replication stress response

DNA damage response is a fundamental mechanism to maintain genome stability. The ATR-WEE1 kinase module plays a central role in response to replication stress. Although the ATR-WEE1 pathway has been well studied in yeasts and animals, how ATR-WEE1 functions in plants remains unclear. Through a genetic screen for suppressors of the Arabidopsis atr mutant, we found that loss of function of PRL1, a core subunit of the evolutionarily conserved MAC complex involved in alternative splicing, suppresses the hypersensitivity of atr and wee1 to replication stress. Biochemical studies revealed that WEE1 directly interacts with and phosphorylates PRL1 at Serine 145, which promotes PRL1 ubiquitination and subsequent degradation. In line with the genetic and biochemical data, replication stress induces intron retention of cell cycle genes including CYCD1;1 and CYCD3;1, which is abolished in wee1 but restored in wee1 prl1. Remarkably, co-expressing the coding sequences of CYCD1;1 and CYCD3;1 partially restores the root length and HU response in wee1 prl1. These data suggested that the ATR-WEE1 module inhibits the MAC complex to regulate replication stress responses. Our study discovered PRL1 or the MAC complex as a key downstream regulator of the ATR-WEE1 module and revealed a novel cell cycle control mechanism.

Oxidation of proline from the cyclin-binding motif in maize CDKA;1 results in lower affinity with its cyclin regulatory subunit

Cyclin dependent kinase A; 1 (CDKA; 1) is essential in G1/S transition of cell cycle and its oxidation has been implicated in cell cycle arrest during plant abiotic stress. In the present study, an evaluation at the molecular level was performed to find possible sites of protein oxidative modifications. In vivo studies demonstrated that carbonylation of maize CDKA,1 is associated with a decrease in complex formation with maize cyclin D (CycD). Control and in vitro oxidized recombinant CDKA; 1 were sequenced by mass spectrometry. Proline at the PSTAIRE cyclin-binding motif was identified as the most susceptible oxidation site by comparative analysis of the resulted peptides. The specific interaction between CDKA; 1 and CycD6; 1, measured by surface plasmon resonance (SPR), demonstrated that the affinity and the kinetic of the interaction depended on the reduced-oxidized state of the CDKA; 1. CDKA; 1 protein oxidative modification would be in part responsible for affecting cell cycle progression, and thus producing plant growth inhibition under oxidative stress.

Modulation of plant growth in vivo and identification of kinase substrates using an analog-sensitive variant of CYCLIN-DEPENDENT KINASE A;1

BACKGROUND

Modulation of protein activity by phosphorylation through kinases and subsequent de-phosphorylation by phosphatases is one of the most prominent cellular control mechanisms. Thus, identification of kinase substrates is pivotal for the understanding of many - if not all - molecular biological processes. Equally, the possibility to deliberately tune kinase activity is of great value to analyze the biological process controlled by a particular kinase.

RESULTS

Here we have applied a chemical genetic approach and generated an analog-sensitive version of CDKA;1, the central cell-cycle regulator in Arabidopsis and homolog of the yeast Cdc2/CDC28 kinases. This variant could largely rescue a cdka;1 mutant and is biochemically active, albeit less than the wild type. Applying bulky kinase inhibitors allowed the reduction of kinase activity in an organismic context in vivo and the modulation of plant growth. To isolate CDK substrates, we have adopted a two-dimensional differential gel electrophoresis strategy, and searched for proteins that showed mobility changes in fluorescently labeled extracts from plants expressing the analog-sensitive version of CDKA;1 with and without adding a bulky ATP variant. A pilot set of five proteins involved in a range of different processes could be confirmed in independent kinase assays to be phosphorylated by CDKA;1 approving the applicability of the here-developed method to identify substrates.

CONCLUSION

The here presented generation of an analog-sensitive CDKA;1 version is functional and represent a novel tool to modulate kinase activity in vivo and identify kinase substrates. Our here performed pilot screen led to the identification of CDK targets that link cell proliferation control to sugar metabolism, proline proteolysis, and glucosinolate production providing a hint how cell proliferation and growth are integrated with plant development and physiology.

Cyclin-dependent kinase-activating kinases CDKD;1 and CDKD;3 are essential for preserving mitotic activity in Arabidopsis thaliana

For the full activation of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), not only cyclin binding but also CDK phosphorylation is required. This activating phosphorylation is mediated by CDK-activating kinases (CAKs). Arabidopsis has four genes showing similarity to vertebrate-type CAKs, three CDKDs (CDKD;1-CDKD;3) and one CDKF (CDKF;1). We previously found that the cdkf;1 mutant is defective in post-embryonic development, even though the kinase activities of core CDKs remain unchanged relative to the wild type. This raised a question about the involvement of CDKDs in CDK activation in planta. Here we report that the cdkd;1 cdkd;3 double mutant showed gametophytic lethality. Most cdkd;1-1 cdkd;3-1 pollen grains were defective in pollen mitosis I and II, producing one-cell or two-cell pollen grains that lacked fertilization ability. We also found that the double knock-out of CDKD;1 and CDKD;3 caused arrest and/or delay in the progression of female gametogenesis at multiple steps. Our genetic analyses revealed that the functions of CDKF;1 and CDKD;1 or CDKD;3 do not overlap, either during gametophyte and embryo development or in post-embryonic development. Consistent with these analyses, CDKF;1 expression in the cdkd;1-1 cdkd;3-1 mutant could not rescue the gametophytic lethality. These results suggest that, in Arabidopsis, CDKD;1 and CDKD;3 function as CAKs controlling mitosis, whereas CDKF;1 plays a distinct role, mainly in post-embryonic development. We propose that CDKD;1 and CDKD;3 phosphorylate and activate all core CDKs, CDKA, CDKB1 and CDKB2, thereby governing cell cycle progression throughout plant development.

Phosphorylation of Serine 186 of bHLH Transcription Factor SPEECHLESS Promotes Stomatal Development in Arabidopsis

The initiation of stomatal lineage and subsequent asymmetric divisions in Arabidopsis require the activity of the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor SPEECHLESS (SPCH). It has been shown that SPCH controls entry into the stomatal lineage as a substrate either of the MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE (MAPK) cascade or GSK3-like kinase BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 2 (BIN2). Here we show that three serine residues of SPCH appear to be the primary phosphorylation targets of Cyclin-Dependent Kinases A;1 (CDKA;1) in vitro, and among them Serine 186 plays a crucial role in stomatal formation. Expression of an SPCH construct harboring a mutation that results in phosphorylation deficiencies on Serine 186 residue failed to rescue stomatal defects in spch null mutants. Expression of a phosphorylation-mimic mutant SPCH(S186D) complemented stomatal production defects in the transgenic lines harboring the targeted expression of dominant-negative CDKA;1.N146. Therefore, in addition to MAPK- and BIN2-mediated phosphorylation on SPCH, phosphorylation at Serine 186 is positively required for SPCH function in regulating stomatal development.

Enhanced heterologous expression of biologically active human granulocyte colony stimulating factor in transgenic tobacco BY-2 cells by localization to endoplasmic reticulum

Tobacco Bright Yellow-2 (BY-2) cells, one of the best characterized cell lines is an attractive expression system for heterologous protein expression. However, the expression of foreign proteins is currently hampered by their low yield, which is partially the result of proteolytic degradation. Human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (hG-CSF) is a hematopoietic cytokine. Recombinant hG-CSF is successfully being used for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in cancer patients. Here, we describe a simple strategy for producing biologically active hG-CSF in tobacco BY-2 cells, localized in the apoplast of BY-2 cells, as well as targeted to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). ER targeting significantly enhanced recombinant production which scaled to 17.89 mg/l from 4.19 mg/l when expressed in the apoplasts. Southern blotting confirmed the stable integration of hG-CSF in the BY-2 nuclear genome, and the expression of hG-CSF was analysed by Western blotting. Total soluble protein containing hG-CSF isolated from positive calli showed proliferative potential when tested on HL-60 cell lines by MTT assay. We also report the potential of a Fluorescence-activated cell sorting approach for an efficient sorting of the hG-CSF-expressing cell lines, which will enable the generation of homogenous high-producing cell lines.

Endoreduplication and fruit growth in tomato: evidence in favour of the karyoplasmic ratio theory

The growth of a plant organ depends upon the developmental processes of cell division and cell expansion. The activity of cell divisions sets the number of cells that will make up the organ; the cell expansion activity then determines its final size. Among the various mechanisms that may influence the determination of cell size, endopolyploidy by means of endoreduplication appears to be of great importance in plants. Endoreduplication is widespread in plants and supports the process of differentiation of cells and organs. Its functional role in plant cells is not fully understood, although it is commonly associated with ploidy-dependent cell expansion. During the development of tomato fruit, cells from the (fleshy) pericarp tissue become highly polyploid, reaching a DNA content barely encountered in other plant species (between 2C and 512C). Recent investigations using tomato fruit development as a model provided new data in favour of the long-standing karyoplasmic ratio theory, stating that cells tend to adjust their cytoplasmic volume to the nuclear DNA content. By establishing a highly structured cellular system where multiple physiological functions are integrated, endoreduplication does act as a morphogenetic factor supporting cell growth during tomato fruit development.

ORFH79 impairs mitochondrial function via interaction with a subunit of electron transport chain complex III in Honglian cytoplasmic male sterile rice

Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) has attracted great interest because of its application in crop breeding. Despite increasing knowledge of CMS, not much is understood about its molecular mechanisms. Previously, orfH79 was cloned and identified as the CMS gene in Honglian rice, but how the ORFH79 protein causes pollen abortion is still unknown. Through bacterial two-hybrid library screening, P61, a subunit of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) complex III, was selected as a candidate that interacts with ORFH79. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) and coimmunoprecipitation (coIP) assays verified their interaction inside mitochondria. Blue native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (BN-PAGE) and western blotting showed ORF79 and P61 colocalized in mitochondrial ETC complex III of CMS lines. Compared with the maintainer line, Yuetai B (YB), a significant decrease of enzyme activity was detected in mitochondrial complex III of the CMS line, Yuetai A (YA), which resulted in decreased ATP concentrations and an increase in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) content. We propose that the CMS protein, ORFH79, can bind to complex III and decrease its enzyme activity through interaction with P61. This defect results in energy production dysfunction and oxidative stress in mitochondria, which may work as retrograde signals that lead to abnormal pollen development.

A general G1/S-phase cell-cycle control module in the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana

The decision to replicate its DNA is of crucial importance for every cell and, in many organisms, is decisive for the progression through the entire cell cycle. A comparison of animals versus yeast has shown that, although most of the involved cell-cycle regulators are divergent in both clades, they fulfill a similar role and the overall network topology of G1/S regulation is highly conserved. Using germline development as a model system, we identified a regulatory cascade controlling entry into S phase in the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana, which, as a member of the Plantae supergroup, is phylogenetically only distantly related to Opisthokonts such as yeast and animals. This module comprises the Arabidopsis homologs of the animal transcription factor E2F, the plant homolog of the animal transcriptional repressor Retinoblastoma (Rb)-related 1 (RBR1), the plant-specific F-box protein F-BOX-LIKE 17 (FBL17), the plant specific cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors KRPs, as well as CDKA;1, the plant homolog of the yeast and animal Cdc2⁺/Cdk1 kinases. Our data show that the principle of a double negative wiring of Rb proteins is highly conserved, likely representing a universal mechanism in eukaryotic cell-cycle control. However, this negative feedback of Rb proteins is differently implemented in plants as it is brought about through a quadruple negative regulation centered around the F-box protein FBL17 that mediates the degradation of CDK inhibitors but is itself directly repressed by Rb. Biomathematical simulations and subsequent experimental confirmation of computational predictions revealed that this regulatory circuit can give rise to hysteresis highlighting the here identified dosage sensitivity of CDK inhibitors in this network.

Robust reconstitution of active cell-cycle control complexes from co-expressed proteins in bacteria

BACKGROUND

Cell proliferation is an important determinant of plant growth and development. In addition, modulation of cell-division rate is an important mechanism of plant plasticity and is key in adapting of plants to environmental conditions. One of the greatest challenges in understanding the cell cycle of flowering plants is the large families of CDKs and cyclins that have the potential to form many different complexes. However, it is largely unclear which complexes are active. In addition, there are many CDK- and cyclin-related proteins whose biological role is still unclear, i.e. whether they have indeed enzymatic activity. Thus, a biochemical characterization of these proteins is of key importance for the understanding of their function.

RESULTS

Here we present a straightforward system to systematically express and purify active CDK-cyclin complexes from E. coli extracts. Our method relies on the concomitant production of a CDK activating kinase, which catalyzes the T-loop phosphorylation necessary for kinase activity. Taking the examples of the G1-phase cyclin CYCLIN D3;1 (CYCD3;1), the mitotic cyclin CYCLIN B1;2 (CYCB1;2) and the atypical meiotic cyclin SOLO DANCERS (SDS) in conjunction with A-, B1- and B2-type CDKs, we show that different CDKs can interact with various cyclins in vitro but only a few specific complexes have high levels of kinase activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our work shows that both the cyclin as well as the CDK partner contribute to substrate specificity in plants. These findings refine the interaction networks in cell-cycle control and pinpoint to particular complexes for modulating cell proliferation activity in breeding.

Identification of kinase substrates by bimolecular complementation assays

As a consequence of the transient nature of kinase-substrate interactions, the detection of kinase targets, although central for understanding many biological processes, has remained challenging. Here we present a straightforward procedure that relies on the comparison of wild type with activation-loop mutants in the kinase of interest by bimolecular complementation assays. As a proof of functionality, we present the identification and in vivo confirmation of substrates of the major cell-cycle kinase in Arabidopsis, revealing a direct link between cell proliferation and the control of the redox state.

Physcomitrella cyclin-dependent kinase A links cell cycle reactivation to other cellular changes during reprogramming of leaf cells

During regeneration, differentiated plant cells can be reprogrammed to produce stem cells, a process that requires coordination of cell cycle reactivation with acquisition of other cellular characteristics. However, the factors that coordinate the two functions during reprogramming have not been determined. Here, we report a link between cell cycle reactivation and the acquisition of new cell-type characteristics through the activity of cyclin-dependent kinase A (CDKA) during reprogramming in the moss Physcomitrella patens. Excised gametophore leaf cells of P. patens are readily reprogrammed, initiate tip growth, and form chloronema apical cells with stem cell characteristics at their first cell division. We found that leaf cells facing the cut undergo CDK activation along with induction of a D-type cyclin, tip growth, and transcriptional activation of protonema-specific genes. A DNA synthesis inhibitor, aphidicolin, inhibited cell cycle progression but prevented neither tip growth nor protonemal gene expression, indicating that cell cycle progression is not required for acquisition of protonema cell-type characteristics. By contrast, treatment with a CDK inhibitor or induction of dominant-negative CDKA;1 protein inhibited not only cell cycle progression but also tip growth and protonemal gene expression. These findings indicate that cell cycle progression is coordinated with other cellular changes by the concomitant regulation through CDKA;1.

Cryptogein-induced cell cycle arrest at G2 phase is associated with inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinases, suppression of expression of cell cycle-related genes and protein degradation in synchronized tobacco BY-2 cells

Induction of defense responses by pathogens or elicitors is often accompanied by growth inhibition in planta, but its molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. In this report, we characterized the molecular events that occur during cryptogein-induced cell cycle arrest at G(2) phase in synchronously cultured tobacco Bright Yellow-2 (BY-2) cells. Concomitant with the proteinaceous elicitor-induced G(2) arrest, we observed inhibition of the histone H1 kinase activity of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), which correlated with a decrease in mRNA and protein levels of CDKB1. In contrast, the amount of CDKA was almost unaffected by cryptogein even at M phase. Cryptogein rapidly inhibited the expression not only of positive, e.g. A- and B-type cyclins and NtCAK, but also of negative cell cycle regulators such as WEE1, suggesting that cryptogein affects multiple targets to inactivate CDKA to induce G(2) arrest by mechanisms distinct from known checkpoint regulation. Moreover, we show that CDKB1 and cyclin proteins are also rapidly degraded by cryptogein and that the proteasome-dependent protein degradation has a crucial role in the control of cryptogein-induced hypersensitive cell death.

Use of phospho-site substitutions to analyze the biological relevance of phosphorylation events in regulatory networks

Biological information is often transmitted by phosphorylation cascades. However, the biological relevance of specific phosphorylation events is often difficult to determine. An invaluable tool to study the effect of kinases and/or phosphatases is the use of phospho- and dephospho-mimetic substitutions in the respective target proteins. Here, we present a generally applicable procedure of how to design, set-up, and carry out phosphorylation modulation experiments and subsequent monitoring of protein activities, taking -cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) as a case study. CDKs are key regulators of cell cycle progression in all eukaryotic cells. Consequently, CDKs are controlled at many levels and phosphorylation of CDKs -themselves is used to regulate their kinase activity. We describe in detail complementation experiments of a mutant in CDKA;1, the major cell cycle kinase in Arabidopsis, with phosphorylation-site variants of CDKA;1. CDKA;1 versions were generated either by mimicking a phosphorylated amino acid by replacing the respective residue with a negatively charged amino acid, e.g., aspartate or glutamate, or by mutating it to a non-phoshorylatable amino acid, such as alanine, valine, or phenylalanine. The genetic complementation studies were accompanied by the isolation of these kinase variants from plant extract and subsequent kinase assays to determine changes in their activity levels. This work allowed us to judge the importance of -posttranslational regulation of CDKA;1 in plants and has shown that the molecular mechanistics of CDK function are apparently conserved across the kingdoms. However, the regulatory wiring of CDKs is -strikingly different between plants, animals, and yeast.

Measurement of plant cyclin-dependent kinase activity using immunoprecipitation-coupled and affinity purification-based kinase assays and the baculovirus expression system

Orderly progression of the eukaryotic cell cycle is governed by a coordinated response to intrinsic and extracellular cues through activation of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). It is therefore important to verify the kinase activity of distinct types of CDKs during the cell cycle. The immunoprecipitation-coupled kinase assay is a useful procedure to evaluate CDK activity in vivo. Although a specific antibody is usually required for immunoprecipitation, transgenic plant cells expressing tag- or marker protein-fused CDKs are also suitable for this purpose. In addition, the baculovirus expression system is a valuable tool for analyzing CDK activity in vitro, because activation of CDKs is regulated by posttranscriptional modification systems that are active in the insect host cells.

The regulatory network of cell-cycle progression is fundamentally different in plants versus yeast or metazoans

Plant growth and proliferation control is coming into a global focus due to recent ecological and economical developments. Plants represent not only the largest food supply for mankind but also may serve as a global source of renewable energies. However, plant breeding has to accomplish a tremendous boost in yield to match the growing demand of a still rapidly increasing human population. Moreover, breeding has to adjust to changing environmental conditions, in particular increased drought. Regulation of cell-cycle control is a major determinant of plant growth and therefore an obvious target for plant breeding. Furthermore, cell-cycle control is also crucial for the DNA damage response, for instance upon irradiation. Thus, an in-depth understanding of plant cell-cycle regulation is of importance beyond a scientific point of view. The mere presence of many conserved core cell-cycle regulators, e.g. CDKs, cyclins, or CDK inhibitors, has formed the idea that the cell cycle in plants is exactly or at least very similarly controlled as in yeast or human cells. Here together with a recent publication we demonstrate that this dogma is not true and show that the control of entry into mitosis is fundamentally different in plants versus yeast or metazoans. Our findings build an important base for the understanding and ultimate modulation of plant growth not only during unperturbed but also under harsh environmental conditions.

Development of flowering plant gametophytes

Plant reproduction occurs through the production of gametes by a haploid generation, the gametophyte. Flowering plants have highly reduced male and female gametophytes, called pollen grains and embryo sacs, respectively, consisting of only a few cells. Gametophytes are critical for sexual reproduction, but detailed understanding of their development remains poor as compared to the diploid sporophyte. This article reviews recent progress in understanding the mechanisms underlying gametophytic development and function in flowering plants. The focus is on genes and molecules involved in the processes of initiation, growth, cell specification, and fertilization of the male and female gametophytes derived primarily from studies in model systems.

Meiotic progression in Arabidopsis is governed by complex regulatory interactions between SMG7, TDM1, and the meiosis I-specific cyclin TAM

Meiosis is a modified cell division that produces four haploid nuclei from a single diploid cell in two rounds of chromosome segregation. Here, we analyze the role of Arabidopsis thaliana SUPPRESSOR WITH MORPHOGENETIC EFFECTS ON GENITALIA7 (SMG7), THREE DIVISION MUTANT1 (TDM1), and TARDY ASYNCHRONOUS MEIOSIS (TAM) in meiotic progression. SMG7 is a conserved nonsense-mediated mRNA decay factor that is also, in Arabidopsis, essential for completion of meiosis. Examination of activating CYCLIN DEPENDENT KINASE A;1 phosophorylation at Thr-161 suggests that the meiotic arrest observed in smg7 mutants is likely caused by a failure to downregulate cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) activity at the end of the second meiotic division. Genetic analysis indicates that SMG7 and TDM1 act in the same pathway to facilitate exit from meiosis. We further demonstrate that the cyclin TAM is specifically expressed in meiosis I and has both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on progression to meiosis II. TAM knockouts skip the second meiotic division producing unreduced gametes, but inactivation of SMG7 or TDM1 alleviates TAM's requirement for entry into meiosis II. We propose a model that meiotic progression in Arabidopsis pollen mother cells is driven by a yet to be identified cyclin-CDK activity that is modulated by regulatory interactions between TDM1, SMG7, and TAM.

Endoreplication controls cell fate maintenance

Cell-fate specification is typically thought to precede and determine cell-cycle regulation during differentiation. Here we show that endoreplication, also known as endoreduplication, a specialized cell-cycle variant often associated with cell differentiation but also frequently occurring in malignant cells, plays a role in maintaining cell fate. For our study we have used Arabidopsis trichomes as a model system and have manipulated endoreplication levels via mutants of cell-cycle regulators and overexpression of cell-cycle inhibitors under a trichome-specific promoter. Strikingly, a reduction of endoreplication resulted in reduced trichome numbers and caused trichomes to lose their identity. Live observations of young Arabidopsis leaves revealed that dedifferentiating trichomes re-entered mitosis and were re-integrated into the epidermal pavement-cell layer, acquiring the typical characteristics of the surrounding epidermal cells. Conversely, when we promoted endoreplication in glabrous patterning mutants, trichome fate could be restored, demonstrating that endoreplication is an important determinant of cell identity. Our data lead to a new model of cell-fate control and tissue integrity during development by revealing a cell-fate quality control system at the tissue level.

Differentiating cells often amplify their nuclear DNA content through a special cell-cycle variant, called endoreplication, in which cell division is skipped. Although this process is widespread from humans to plants, not much is currently known about the biological importance of endoreplication. Moreover, the control of cell-cycle activities has been thought to follow developmental decisions and the adoption of a specific cell fate. Here we have uncovered a previously unrecognized function of endoreplication in maintaining cell identity, presenting a striking example of how cell fate and cell-cycle progression are linked. Using leaf hairs on the reference plant Arabidopsis as a model, we show that compromising endoreplication leads to dedifferentiation of the newly forming leaf hair cell. Live observations of young Arabidopsis leaves revealed that dedifferentiating leaf hairs underwent repeated rounds of cell division and were re-integrated into the epidermal cell layer acquiring the typical characteristics of the surrounding epidermal cells. Conversely, promoting endoreplication in mutants that fail to develop hairs could at least partially restore their differentiation program. With this, our findings also pinpoint an important role of the social context of a cell, revealing a differentiation control system at the tissue level.

Control of cell proliferation, organ growth, and DNA damage response operate independently of dephosphorylation of the Arabidopsis Cdk1 homolog CDKA;1

Entry into mitosis is universally controlled by cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). A key regulatory event in metazoans and fission yeast is CDK activation by the removal of inhibitory phosphate groups in the ATP binding pocket catalyzed by Cdc25 phosphatases. In contrast with other multicellular organisms, we show here that in the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana, cell cycle control does not depend on sudden changes in the phosphorylation pattern of the PSTAIRE-containing Cdk1 homolog CDKA;1. Consistently, we found that neither mutants in a previously identified CDC25 candidate gene nor plants in which it is overexpressed display cell cycle defects. Inhibitory phosphorylation of CDKs is also the key event in metazoans to arrest cell cycle progression upon DNA damage. However, we show here that the DNA damage checkpoint in Arabidopsis can also operate independently of the phosphorylation of CDKA;1. These observations reveal a surprising degree of divergence in the circuitry of highly conserved core cell cycle regulators in multicellular organisms. Based on biomathematical simulations, we propose a plant-specific model of how progression through the cell cycle could be wired in Arabidopsis.

CDKB1;1 forms a functional complex with CYCA2;3 to suppress endocycle onset

The mitosis-to-endocycle transition requires the controlled inactivation of M phase-associated cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) activity. Previously, the B-type CDKB1;1 was identified as an important negative regulator of endocycle onset. Here, we demonstrate that CDKB1;1 copurifies and associates with the A2-type cyclin CYCA2;3. Coexpression of CYCA2;3 with CDKB1;1 triggered ectopic cell divisions and inhibited endoreduplication. Moreover, the enhanced endoreduplication phenotype observed after overexpression of a dominant-negative allele of CDKB1;1 could be partially complemented by CYCA2;3 co-overexpression, illustrating that both subunits unite in vivo to form a functional complex. CYCA2;3 protein stability was found to be controlled by CCS52A1, an activator of the anaphase-promoting complex. We conclude that CCS52A1 participates in endocycle onset by down-regulating CDKB1;1 activity through the destruction of CYCA2;3.