Pavla Binarová

Bio: Pavla Binarová is an academic researcher from Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. The author has contributed to research in topics: Mitosis & Microtubule. The author has an hindex of 24, co-authored 54 publications receiving 2386 citations. Previous affiliations of Pavla Binarová include Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences & University of Saskatchewan.

Analysis of Nuclear DNA content in plant cells by Flow cytometry

Abstract: Flow cytometry was used to analyse the DNA content of nuclei isolated from intact plant tissues and from callus and cell suspension cultures invitro. Cell nuclei were isolated either mechanically (chopping, syringing) or by a hypotonic lysis of isolated protoplasts. Although both methods gave similar results, a slight shift to lower ploidy levels was observed after protoplast isolation from intact tissues and calli. No differences were observed if the two methods were compared using cell suspension cultures. The results showed that flow cytometry is a rapid method of nuclear DNA content analysis in intact plant tissues and variousin vitro cultures.

A MAP Kinase Is Activated Late in Plant Mitosis and Becomes Localized to the Plane of Cell Division

Abstract: In eukaryotes, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are part of signaling modules that transmit diverse stimuli, such as mitogens, developmental cues, or various stresses. Here, we report a novel alfalfa MAPK, Medicago MAP kinase 3 (MMK3). Using an MMK3-specific antibody, we detected the MMK3 protein and its associated activity only in dividing cells. The MMK3 protein could be found during all stages of the cell cycle, but its protein kinase activity was transient in mitosis and correlated with the timing of phragmoplast formation. Depolymerization of microtubules by short treatments with the drug amiprophosmethyl during anaphase and telophase abolished MMK3 activity, indicating that intact microtubules are required for MMK3 activation. During anaphase, MMK3 was found to be concentrated in between the segregating chromosomes; later, it localized at the midplane of cell division in the phragmoplast. As the phragmoplast microtubules were redistributed from the center to the periphery during telophase, MMK3 still localized to the whole plane of division; thus, phragmoplast microtubules are not required to keep MMK3 at this location. Together, these data strongly support a role for MMK3 in the regulation of plant cytokinesis.

Expression of a Nondegradable Cyclin B1 Affects Plant Development and Leads to Endomitosis by Inhibiting the Formation of a Phragmoplast

Abstract: In plants after the disassembly of mitotic spindle, a specific cytokinetic structure called the phragmoplast is built, and after cytokinesis, microtubules populate the cell cortex in an organized orientation that determines cell elongation and shape. Here, we show that impaired cyclin B1 degradation, resulting from a mutation within its destruction box, leads to an isodiametric shape of epidermal cells in leaves, stems, and roots and retarded growth of seedlings. Microtubules in these misshaped cells are grossly disorganized, focused around the nucleus, whereas they were entirely missing or abnormally organized along the cell cortex. A high percentage of cells expressing nondestructible cyclin B1 had doubled DNA content as a result of undergoing endomitosis. During anaphase the cytokinesis-specific syntaxin KNOLLE could still localize to the midplane of cell division, whereas NPK1-activating kinesin-like protein 1, a cytokinetic kinesin-related protein, was unable to do so, and instead of the formation of a phragmoplast, the midzone microtubules persisted between the separated nuclei, which eventually fused. In summary, our results show that the timely degradation of mitotic cyclins in plants is required for the reorganization of mitotic microtubules to the phragmoplast and for proper cytokinesis. Subsequently, the presence of nondegradable cyclin B1 leads to a failure in organizing properly the cortical microtubules that determine cell elongation and shape.

A cell cycle regulated MAP kinase with a possible role in cytokinesis in tobacco cells

Abstract: Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases have been demonstrated to have a role in meiosis but their involvement in mitotic events is less clear. Using a peptide antibody raised against the tobacco MAP kinase p43(Ntf6) and extracts from synchronized tobacco cell suspension cultures, we show that this kinase is activated specifically during mitosis. Entry into mitosis appears to be necessary for the activation of the kinase, which occurs as a post-translational event. The activation of the kinase occurs in late anaphase/early telophase. The p43(Ntf6) protein shows a transient localization to the cell plate in anaphase cells, in the middle of the two microtubule arrays characteristic of the phragmoplast, a plant-specific structure involved in laying down the new cell wall. The combined data support a role for the MAP kinase p43(Ntf6) in cytokinesis in tobacco cells.

Plant γ-Tubulin Interacts with αβ-Tubulin Dimers and Forms Membrane-Associated Complexes

Abstract: γ-Tubulin is assumed to participate in microtubule nucleation in acentrosomal plant cells, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are still unknown. Here, we show that γ-tubulin is present in protein complexes of various sizes and different subcellular locations in Arabidopsis and fava bean. Immunoprecipitation experiments revealed an association of γ-tubulin with αβ-tubulin dimers. γ-Tubulin cosedimented with microtubules polymerized in vitro and localized along their whole length. Large γ-tubulin complexes resistant to salt treatment were found to be associated with a high-speed microsomal fraction. Blue native electrophoresis of detergent-solubilized microsomes showed that the molecular mass of the complexes was >1 MD. Large γ-tubulin complexes were active in microtubule nucleation, but nucleation activity was not observed for the smaller complexes. Punctate γ-tubulin staining was associated with microtubule arrays, accumulated with short kinetochore microtubules interacting in polar regions with membranes, and localized in the vicinity of nuclei and in the area of cell plate formation. Our results indicate that the association of γ-tubulin complexes with dynamic membranes might ensure the flexibility of noncentrosomal microtubule nucleation. Moreover, the presence of other molecular forms of γ-tubulin suggests additional roles for this protein species in microtubule organization.

Arabidopsis Cytokinin Receptor Mutants Reveal Functions in Shoot Growth, Leaf Senescence, Seed Size, Germination, Root Development, and Cytokinin Metabolism

Abstract: We used loss-of-function mutants to study three Arabidopsis thaliana sensor histidine kinases, AHK2, AHK3, and CRE1/ AHK4, known to be cytokinin receptors. Mutant seeds had more rapid germination, reduced requirement for light, and decreased far-red light sensitivity, unraveling cytokinin functions in seed germination control. Triple mutant seeds were more than twice as large as wild-type seeds. Genetic analysis indicated a cytokinin-dependent endospermal and/or maternal control of embryo size. Unchanged red light sensitivity of mutant hypocotyl elongation suggests that previously reported modulation of red light signaling by A-type response regulators may not depend on cytokinin. Combined loss of AHK2 and AHK3 led to the most prominent changes during vegetative development. Leaves of ahk2 ahk3 mutants formed fewer cells, had reduced chlorophyll content, and lacked the cytokinin-dependent inhibition of dark-induced chlorophyll loss, indicating a prominent role of AHK2 and, particularly, AHK3 in the control of leaf development. ahk2 ahk3 double mutants developed a strongly enhanced root system through faster growth of the primary root and, more importantly, increased branching. This result supports a negative regulatory role for cytokinin in root growth regulation. Increased cytokinin content of receptor mutants indicates a homeostatic control of steady state cytokinin levels through signaling. Together, the analyses reveal partially redundant functions of the cytokinin receptors and prominent roles for the AHK2/ AHK3 receptor combination in quantitative control of organ growth in plants, with opposite regulatory functions in roots and shoots.

Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling in Plants

Abstract: Eukaryotic mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades have evolved to transduce environmental and developmental signals into adaptive and programmed responses MAPK cascades relay and amplify signals via three types of reversibly phosphorylated kinases leading to the phosphorylation of substrate proteins, whose altered activities mediate a wide array of responses, including changes in gene expression Cascades may share kinase components, but their signaling specificity is maintained by spaciotemporal constraints and dynamic protein-protein interactions and by mechanisms that include crossinhibition, feedback control, and scaffolding Plant MAPK cascades regulate numerous processes, including stress and hormonal responses, innate immunity, and developmental programs Genetic analyses have uncovered several predominant MAPK components shared by several of these processes including the Arabidopsis thaliana MAPKs MPK3, 4, and 6 and MAP2Ks MKK1, 2, 4, and 5 Future work needs to focus on identifying substrates of MAPKs, and on understanding how specificity is achieved among MAPK signaling pathways