Deshpal S Verma
Ohio State University, USA
Title: Building of cell plate during cytokinesis in plant cell
Biography
Biography: Deshpal S Verma
Abstract
Cytokinesis in plant cells involves building a cell plate as the fi nal step in generating two cells. Th e cell plate is built in the center of phragmoplast by fusion of Golgi-derived vesicles. Th is step imposes an architectural problem where ballooning of the fused structures has to be avoided to create a plate like structure. Th is is achieved by an unique mechanism vesicles are squeezed into dumbbell-shaped vesicle-tubule-vesicle (VTV) structures with the help of phragmoplastin, a homolog of dynamin. These structures are fused at their ends in a star-shaped body creating a tubulovesicular "honeycomb-like" structure in the center of phragmoplast. Phragmoplastin was shown to interact with Cell-Plate-specifi c Callose synthase encoded by CalS1 gene. Th is protein further intracts with a UDP-glucose transferase forming a complex that produces copious amounts of callose needed to form the cell plate. Once the plate reaches the periphery of the cell, then cellulose synthase takes over and deposit cellulose microfi brils on the cell plate making a rigid cell wall. Th e identifi cation of Phragmoplastin and Callose synthase complex alloed us to work out the mechanism by which cell plate is built during cytokinesis in plants.
