Kinesin-4 optimizes microtubule orientations for responsive tip growth guidance in moss.

ABSTRACT: Tip-growing cells of, amongst others, plants and fungi secrete wall materials in a highly polarized fashion for fast and efficient colonization of the environment. A polarized microtubule cytoskeleton, in which most microtubule ends are directed toward the growing apex, has been implicated in directing growth. Its organizing principles, in particular regarding maintenance of network unipolarity, have remained elusive. We show that a kinesin-4 protein, hitherto best known for a role in cytokinesis, suppresses encounters between antiparallel microtubules. Without this activity, microtubules hyper-aligned along the growth axis and increasingly grew away from the apex. Cells themselves displayed an overly straight growth path and a delayed gravitropic response. This result revealed conflicting

SUBMITTER: de Keijzer J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10316633 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature