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Arabidopsis LIM proteins PLIM2a and PLIM2b regulate actin configuration during pollen tube growth

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Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

The pollen tube grows rapidly, exclusively at its tip, to deliver its sperm for fertilization. The polarized tip growth of pollen tubes is dependent on the highly dynamic actin cytoskeleton. Plant LIM proteins (named after initials of containing proteins Lin11, Isl-1, and Mec-3) have been shown to regulate actin bundling in different cells, however, their roles in pollen tube growth have remained obscure. Here, we report the function of Arabidopsis LIM proteins PLIM2a and PLIM2b in pollen tube growth. The PLIM2a mutation resulted in short and swollen Arabidopsis pollen tube with defective actin bundles. The expression of the construct green fluorescent protein (GFP)-PLIM2b led to fluorescence of the actin bundles in germinating pollen and also the long actin bundles along the growing pollen tubes in Arabidopsis, but not of the short and sparse actin bundles that characterize the tip regions of the pollen tubes. There is a partially redundant function between PLIM2a and PLIM2b in the shank actin bundle organization during Arabidopsis pollen tube growth, as PLIM2b could rescue for the defective shank actin bundles in PLIM2a mutation pollen tubes. This report suggests critical roles of PLIM2a/PLIM2b in actin configuration during Arabidopsis pollen germination and tube growth.

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Abbreviations

ABPs:

actin-binding proteins

ABD:

actin-binding domain

ADF:

actin depolymerizing factor

AFs:

actin filaments

GFP:

green fluorescent protein

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P.R. China

    J. R. Ye & M. L. Xu

  2. College of Life Sciences, Hebei United University, Tangshan, Hebei, 063000, P.R. China

    L. M. Zhou

Authors
  1. J. R. Ye
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  2. L. M. Zhou
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  3. M. L. Xu
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Correspondence to J. R. Ye.

Additional information

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the project Tangshan Guidance Plan of Science and Technology Research & Development (12120202a) to L.M.Zhou and Chinese Universities Scientific Fund (project No. 2012QJ140).

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Ye, J.R., Zhou, L.M. & Xu, M.L. Arabidopsis LIM proteins PLIM2a and PLIM2b regulate actin configuration during pollen tube growth. Biol Plant 57, 433–441 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-013-0323-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-013-0323-3

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