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Abstract Detail



Developmental and Structural Section

Livingston, Sam [1], Eng, Ryan [1], Wasteneys, Geoffrey O. [2].

Functional Analysis of ARMADILLO-REPEAT KINESIN2 in Arabidopsis.

Kinesin proteins are essential for maintaining proper microtubule dynamics during plant cell development. The armadillo-repeat kinesin 2 (ARK2) has been hypothesized to be involved in microtubule dynamics during root epidermal cell morphogenesis based on the null mutants of ARK2 having a root skewing phenotype, which is also observed upon microtubule disrupting drug treatments of wild-type seedlings. Here, we show functional analysis of the ARK2 protein as a microtubule-associated plus-end binding protein using spinning-disk confocal microscopy. Generation of an ARK2-RFP (red fluorescent protein) fusion protein expressed by its endogenous promoter results in transverse arrays in interphase cells, as well as the pre-prophase band and mitotic spindle in actively dividing cells, providing evidence that ARK2 localizes to microtubules. Interestingly, expression of ARK2 was absent in the endodermal tissues of the root when driven by its native promoter. Functional redundancy of the ARK2 protein to its paralogue ARK1, a microtubule plus-end binding catastrophe factor, was assessed by driving an ARK2-GFP (green fluorescent protein) fusion protein with the ARK1 promoter in ark1-1 null mutants containing a microtubule reporter construct. Despite the failure of ARK2-GFP to complement the characteristic ark1-1 mutant root hair phenotype, which indicates a novel function of ARK2, the fusion protein was found to be plus-end tracking on microtubules in interphase cells, similar to ARK1.


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1 - Universitiy of British Columbia, Botany, 6270 University Blvd., Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z4, Canada
2 - University of British Columbia, Botany, 3529-6270 University Blvd., Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z4, Canada

Keywords:
Armadillo-repeat Kinesin2
Microtubules
Arabidopsis thaliana
Confocal Microscopy 
Microtubule-associated protein.

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Hall D/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2015
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PDS010
Abstract ID:986
Candidate for Awards:CSPB Travel Bursary


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