The plant cytoskeleton takes center stage in abiotic stress responses and resilience.

Stress resilience behaviours in plants are defensive mechanisms that develop under adverse environmental conditions to promote growth, development and yield. Over the past decades, improving stress resilience, especially in crop species, has been a focus of intense research for global food security and economic growth. Plants have evolved specific mechanisms to sense external stress and transmit information to the cell interior and generate appropriate responses. Plant cytoskeleton, comprising microtubules and actin filaments, takes a center stage in stress-induced signalling pathways, either as a direct target or as a signal transducer. In the past few years, it has become apparent that the function of the plant cytoskeleton and other associated proteins are not merely limited to elementary processes of cell growth and proliferation, but they also function in stress response and resilience. This review summarizes recent advances in the role of plant cytoskeleton and associated proteins in abiotic stress management. We provide a thorough overview of the mechanisms that plant cells employ to withstand different abiotic stimuli such as hypersalinity, dehydration, high temperature and cold, among others. We also discuss the crucial role of the plant cytoskeleton in organellar positioning under the influence of high light intensity.

Spatio-temporal control of post-Golgi exocytic trafficking in plants.

A complex and dynamic endomembrane system is a hallmark of eukaryotic cells and underpins the evolution of specialised cell types in multicellular organisms. Endomembrane system function critically depends on the ability of the cell to (1) define compartment and pathway identity, and (2) organise compartments and pathways dynamically in space and time. Eukaryotes possess a complex molecular machinery to control these processes, including small GTPases and their regulators, SNAREs, tethering factors, motor proteins, and cytoskeletal elements. Whereas many of the core components of the eukaryotic endomembrane system are broadly conserved, there have been substantial diversifications within different lineages, possibly reflecting lineage-specific requirements of endomembrane trafficking. This Review focusses on the spatio-temporal regulation of post-Golgi exocytic transport in plants. It highlights recent advances in our understanding of the elaborate network of pathways transporting different cargoes to different domains of the cell surface, and the molecular machinery underpinning them (with a focus on Rab GTPases, their interactors and the cytoskeleton). We primarily focus on transport in the context of growth, but also highlight how these pathways are co-opted during plant immunity responses and at the plant-pathogen interface.

Regulation of cytoskeleton-associated protein activities: Linking cellular signals to plant cytoskeletal function.

The plant cytoskeleton undergoes dynamic remodeling in response to diverse developmental and environmental cues. Remodeling of the cytoskeleton coordinates growth in plant cells, including trafficking and exocytosis of membrane and wall components during cell expansion, and regulation of hypocotyl elongation in response to light. Cytoskeletal remodeling also has key functions in disease resistance and abiotic stress responses. Many stimuli result in altered activity of cytoskeleton-associated proteins, microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) and actin-binding proteins (ABPs). MAPs and ABPs are the main players determining the spatiotemporally dynamic nature of the cytoskeleton, functioning in a sensory hub that decodes signals to modulate plant cytoskeletal behavior. Moreover, MAP and ABP activities and levels are precisely regulated during development and environmental responses, but our understanding of this process remains limited. In this review, we summarize the evidence linking multiple signaling pathways, MAP and ABP activities and levels, and cytoskeletal rearrangements in plant cells. We highlight advances in elucidating the multiple mechanisms that regulate MAP and ABP activities and levels, including calcium and calmodulin signaling, ROP GTPase activity, phospholipid signaling, and post-translational modifications.

A journey through a plant cytoskeleton: Hot spots in signaling and functioning.

This survey paper contains a brief analysis of publications included in the special issue of the scientific journal Cell Biology International titled "Plant Cytoskeleton Structure, Dynamics and Functions". The manuscripts in this special issue reflect some new aspects of plant cytoskeleton organization, signaling and functioning, and results from different Ukrainian research groups, and focuses on bringing together scientists working across different instrumental scales.

Nitric oxide modulates actin filament organization in Arabidopsis thaliana primary root cells at low temperatures.

Cytoskeleton is gaining the increasing recognition as one of nitric oxide (NO)-downstream targets because of its involvement in plenty of NO-controlled processes in plants throughout the entire life cycle starting from seed germination to pollination as well as (a)biotic stress tolerance. It has been revealed that low temperature (+0.5°C) has an inhibitory effect on A. thaliana primary root growth and causes an anisotropic increase of epidermal cells diameter in elongation zone. Furthermore, actin filaments' organization of epidermal cells in different zones of primary roots is modulated by NO content. Thus, the exogenous NO donor (SNP) favors to actin filaments network reorganization, while both cold and NO scavenger (c-PTIO) increase its randomization. According to the data obtained, it can be assumed that not only actin filaments act as NO sensors, but NO is also involved into plant cell response on low temperatures by the signaling via such important cytoskeleton machinery as actin network.

Expression of both Arabidopsis γ-tubulin genes is essential for development of a functional syncytium induced by Heterodera schachtii.

KEY MESSAGE: After initial up-regulation, expression of TUBG1 and TUBG2 is significantly down-regulated in mature syncytia, but lack of expression of either of γ-tubulin genes reduces numbers of nematode infections and developing females. Infective second stage juveniles of sedentary plant parasitic nematode Heterodera schachtii invade the root vascular tissue and induce a feeding site, named syncytium, formed as a result of cell hypertrophy and partial cell wall dissolution leading to a multinucleate state. Syncytium formation and maintenance involves a molecular interplay between the plant host and the developing juveniles leading to rearrangements and fragmentation of the plant cytoskeleton. In this study, we investigated the role of two Arabidopsis γ-tubulin genes (TUBG1 and TUBG2), involved in MTs nucleation during syncytium development. Expression analysis revealed that both γ-tubulin's transcript levels changed during syncytium development and after initial up-regulation (1-3 dpi) they were significantly down-regulated in 7, 10 and 15 dpi syncytia. Moreover, TUBG1 and TUBG2 showed distinct immunolocalization patterns in uninfected roots and syncytia. Although no severe changes in syncytium anatomy and ultrastructure in tubg1-1 and tubg2-1 mutants were observed compared to syncytia induced in wild-type plants, nematode infection assays revealed reduced numbers of infecting juveniles and developed female nematodes in mutant lines. Our results indicate that the expression of both TUBG1 and TUBG2 genes, although generally down-regulated in mature syncytia, is essential for successful root infection, development of functional syncytium and nematode maturation.

Cell differentiation and the cytoskeleton in Acetabularia.

In multicellular organisms, differentiation of individual cells is typically linked to the development of the whole organism. As cells acquire tissue-specific morphologies and become functionally specialized they lose in turn a number of other functions. A free living, single celled organism, however, maintains all such functions. Compartmentalization and intracellular communication are two basic principles by which expression of specialized features is achieved within a unicell. Both in turn depend on the structure and dynamics of the cytoskeleton. Giant algal unicells lend themselves as experimental models for the study of the cytoskeleton, because the cytoskeletal arrays inside these cells become equally enormous in size. Some of these organisms are large enough to be mistaken for multicellular plants, equipped with holdfast, stem and assimilatory organ. The marine green alga Acetabularia is one of these giant cells, which has already been well known to phycologists and cell biologists for several decades. The current review discusses recent progress in the study of the cytoskeleton in Acetabularia and examines classic concepts of cell morphogenesis from the perspective of cytoskeletal function. Contents Summary 369 I. Introduction 369 II. Morphogenetic stages 371 III. Post-transcriptional control of morphogenesis 687 IV. Apparent plasticity of morphogenesis 389 V. Prospects of using molecular approaches 391.

Root apex transition zone as oscillatory zone.

Root apex of higher plants shows very high sensitivity to environmental stimuli. The root cap acts as the most prominent plant sensory organ; sensing diverse physical parameters such as gravity, light, humidity, oxygen, and critical inorganic nutrients. However, the motoric responses to these stimuli are accomplished in the elongation region. This spatial discrepancy was solved when we have discovered and characterized the transition zone which is interpolated between the apical meristem and the subapical elongation zone. Cells of this zone are very active in the cytoskeletal rearrangements, endocytosis and endocytic vesicle recycling, as well as in electric activities. Here we discuss the oscillatory nature of the transition zone which, together with several other features of this zone, suggest that it acts as some kind of command center. In accordance with the early proposal of Charles and Francis Darwin, cells of this root zone receive sensory information from the root cap and instruct the motoric responses of cells in the elongation zone.