1
|
Pain C, Tynan C, Botchway SW, Kriechbaumer V. Variable-Angle Epifluorescence Microscopy for Single-Particle Tracking in the Plant ER. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2772:273-283. [PMID: 38411821 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3710-4_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Single-particle tracking (SPT) of biomolecules in the plant endoplasmic reticulum has the potential to inform on the formation of protein-protein complexes, metabolons, and the transport of molecules through both the ER membrane and lumen. Plant cells are particularly challenging for observing and tracking single molecules due to their unique structure, size, and considerable autofluorescence. However, by using variable-angle or highly inclined epifluorescence microscopy (VAEM) and transient expression in tobacco, it is possible to observe single-particle dynamics in the ER. Selecting the appropriate fluorophore, and ensuring the correct fluorophore density in the ER, is essential for successful SPT. By using tuneable fluorophores, which can be photoconverted and photoactivated, it is possible to vary the density of visible fluorophores in the ER dynamically. Here we describe methods to prepare plant samples for VAEM and two methods for determining and analyzing single-particle tracks from VAEM time series.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Pain
- Endomembrane Structure and Function Research Group, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Christopher Tynan
- Central Laser Facility, Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot, UK
| | - Stanley W Botchway
- Central Laser Facility, Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot, UK
| | - Verena Kriechbaumer
- Endomembrane Structure and Function Research Group, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sandor A, Samalova M, Brandizzi F, Kriechbaumer V, Moore I, Fricker MD, Sweetlove LJ. Characterization of intracellular membrane structures derived from a massive expansion of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane due to synthetic ER-membrane-resident polyproteins. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:45-59. [PMID: 37715992 PMCID: PMC10735356 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a dynamic organelle that is amenable to major restructuring. Introduction of recombinant ER-membrane-resident proteins that form homo oligomers is a known method of inducing ER proliferation: interaction of the proteins with each other alters the local structure of the ER network, leading to the formation large aggregations of expanded ER, sometimes leading to the formation of organized smooth endoplasmic reticulum (OSER). However, these membrane structures formed by ER proliferation are poorly characterized and this hampers their potential development for plant synthetic biology. Here, we characterize a range of ER-derived membranous compartments in tobacco and show how the nature of the polyproteins introduced into the ER membrane affect the morphology of the final compartment. We show that a cytosol-facing oligomerization domain is an essential component for compartment formation. Using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, we demonstrate that although the compartment retains a connection to the ER, a diffusional barrier exists to both the ER and the cytosol associated with the compartment. Using quantitative image analysis, we also show that the presence of the compartment does not disrupt the rest of the ER network. Moreover, we demonstrate that it is possible to recruit a heterologous, bacterial enzyme to the compartment, and for the enzyme to accumulate to high levels. Finally, transgenic Arabidopsis constitutively expressing the compartment-forming polyproteins grew and developed normally under standard conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andras Sandor
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
| | - Marketa Samalova
- Department of Experimental Biology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Federica Brandizzi
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Verena Kriechbaumer
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Ian Moore
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
| | - Mark D Fricker
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
| | - Lee J Sweetlove
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Fricker M, Breeze E, Pain C, Kriechbaumer V, Aguilar C, Ugalde JM, Meyer AJ. Quantitation of ER Morphology and Dynamics. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2772:49-75. [PMID: 38411806 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3710-4_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
The plant endoplasmic reticulum forms a network of tubules connected by three-way junctions or sheet-like cisternae. Although the network is three-dimensional, in many plant cells, it is constrained to thin volume sandwiched between the vacuole and plasma membrane, effectively restricting it to a 2-D planar network. The structure of the network, and the morphology of the tubules and cisternae can be automatically extracted following intensity-independent edge-enhancement and various segmentation techniques to give an initial pixel-based skeleton, which is then converted to a graph representation. ER dynamics can be determined using optical flow techniques from computer vision or persistency analysis. Collectively, this approach yields a wealth of quantitative metrics for ER structure and can be used to describe the effects of pharmacological treatments or genetic manipulation. The software is publicly available.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark Fricker
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Emily Breeze
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Charlotte Pain
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Verena Kriechbaumer
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Carlos Aguilar
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - José M Ugalde
- INRES-Chemical Signalling, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Andreas J Meyer
- INRES-Chemical Signalling, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Spatola Rossi T, Tolmie AF, Nichol T, Pain C, Harrison P, Smith TJ, Fricker M, Kriechbaumer V. Recombinant expression and subcellular targeting of the particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) protein components in plants. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15337. [PMID: 37714899 PMCID: PMC10504283 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42224-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, which has contributed to approximately a fifth of global warming since pre-industrial times. The agricultural sector produces significant methane emissions, especially from livestock, waste management and rice cultivation. Rice fields alone generate around 9% of total anthropogenic emissions. Methane is produced in waterlogged paddy fields by methanogenic archaea, and transported to the atmosphere through the aerenchyma tissue of rice plants. Thus, bioengineering rice with catalysts to detoxify methane en route could contribute to an efficient emission mitigation strategy. Particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) is the predominant methane catalyst found in nature, and is an enzyme complex expressed by methanotrophic bacteria. Recombinant expression of pMMO has been challenging, potentially due to its membrane localization, multimeric structure, and polycistronic operon. Here we show the first steps towards the engineering of plants for methane detoxification with the three pMMO subunits expressed in the model systems tobacco and Arabidopsis. Membrane topology and protein-protein interactions were consistent with correct folding and assembly of the pMMO subunits on the plant ER. Moreover, a synthetic self-cleaving polypeptide resulted in simultaneous expression of all three subunits, although low expression levels precluded more detailed structural investigation. The work presents plant cells as a novel heterologous system for pMMO allowing for protein expression and modification.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Spatola Rossi
- Endomembrane Structure and Function Research Group, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - A Frances Tolmie
- Endomembrane Structure and Function Research Group, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Tim Nichol
- Molecular Microbiology Research Group, Biomolecular Sciences Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, S1 1WB, UK
| | - Charlotte Pain
- Endomembrane Structure and Function Research Group, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Patrick Harrison
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
| | - Thomas J Smith
- Molecular Microbiology Research Group, Biomolecular Sciences Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, S1 1WB, UK
| | - Mark Fricker
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Verena Kriechbaumer
- Endomembrane Structure and Function Research Group, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.
- Centre for Bioimaging, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Singh S, Hu X, Dixelius C. Dynamics of nucleic acid mobility. Genetics 2023; 225:iyad132. [PMID: 37491977 PMCID: PMC10471207 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in sequencing technologies and bioinformatic analyses are accelerating the quantity and quality of data from all domains of life. This rich resource has the potential to reveal a number of important incidences with respect to possible exchange of nucleic acids. Ancient events have impacted species evolution and adaptation to new ecological niches. However, we still lack a full picture of processes ongoing within and between somatic cells, gametes, and different organisms. We propose that events linked to acceptance of alien nucleic acids grossly could be divided into 2 main routes in plants: one, when plants are exposed to extreme challenges and, the second level, a more everyday or season-related stress incited by biotic or abiotic factors. Here, many events seem to comprise somatic cells. Are the transport and acceptance processes of alien sequences random or are there specific regulatory systems not yet fully understood? Following entrance into a new cell, a number of intracellular processes leading to chromosomal integration and function are required. Modification of nucleic acids and possibly exchange of sequences within a cell may also occur. Such fine-tune events are most likely very common. There are multiple questions that we will discuss concerning different types of vesicles and their roles in nucleic acid transport and possible intracellular sequence exchange between species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shailja Singh
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Linnéan Center for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7080, Uppsala, SE-75007, Sweden
| | - Xinyi Hu
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Linnéan Center for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7080, Uppsala, SE-75007, Sweden
| | - Christina Dixelius
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Linnéan Center for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7080, Uppsala, SE-75007, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Wang P, Duckney P, Gao E, Hussey PJ, Kriechbaumer V, Li C, Zang J, Zhang T. Keep in contact: multiple roles of endoplasmic reticulum-membrane contact sites and the organelle interaction network in plants. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 238:482-499. [PMID: 36651025 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Functional regulation and structural maintenance of the different organelles in plants contribute directly to plant development, reproduction and stress responses. To ensure these activities take place effectively, cells have evolved an interconnected network amongst various subcellular compartments, regulating rapid signal transduction and the exchange of biomaterial. Many proteins that regulate membrane connections have recently been identified in plants, and this is the first step in elucidating both the mechanism and function of these connections. Amongst all organelles, the endoplasmic reticulum is the key structure, which likely links most of the different subcellular compartments through membrane contact sites (MCS) and the ER-PM contact sites (EPCS) have been the most intensely studied in plants. However, the molecular composition and function of plant MCS are being found to be different from other eukaryotic systems. In this article, we will summarise the most recent advances in this field and discuss the mechanism and biological relevance of these essential links in plants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pengwei Wang
- National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops, College of Horticulture & Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Patrick Duckney
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Erlin Gao
- National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops, College of Horticulture & Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Patrick J Hussey
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Verena Kriechbaumer
- Endomembrane Structure and Function Research Group, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Chengyang Li
- National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops, College of Horticulture & Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Jingze Zang
- National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops, College of Horticulture & Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops, College of Horticulture & Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Pain C, Tolmie F, Wojcik S, Wang P, Kriechbaumer V. intER-ACTINg: the structure and dynamics of ER and actin are interlinked. J Microsc 2022. [PMID: 35985796 DOI: 10.1111/jmi.13139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The actin cytoskeleton is the driver of gross ER remodelling and the movement and positioning of other membrane-bound organelles such as Golgi bodies. Rapid ER membrane remodelling is a feature of most plant cells and is important for normal cellular processes, including targeted secretion, immunity and signalling. Modifications to the actin cytoskeleton, through pharmacological agents such as Latrunculin B and phalloidin, or disruption of normal myosin function also affect ER structure and/or dynamics. Here, we investigate the impact of changes in the actin cytoskeleton on structure and dynamics on the ER as well as in return the impact of modified ER structure on the architecture of the actin cytoskeleton. By expressing actin markers that affect actin dynamics, or expressing of ER-shaping proteins that influence ER architecture, we found that the structure of ER-actin networks is closely inter-related; affecting one component is likely to have a direct effect on the other. Therefore, our results indicate that a complicated regulatory machinery and cross-talk between these two structures must exist in plants to co-ordinate the function of ER-actin network during multiple subcellular processes. In addition, when considering organelle structure and dynamics, the choice of actin marker is essential in preventing off-target organelle structure and dynamics modifications. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Pain
- Plant Cell Biology, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Frances Tolmie
- Plant Cell Biology, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Stefan Wojcik
- Plant Cell Biology, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Pengwei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), College of Horticulture and Forestry Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Verena Kriechbaumer
- Plant Cell Biology, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Basak AK, Mirzaei M, Strzałka K, Yamada K. Texture feature extraction from microscope images enables a robust estimation of ER body phenotype in Arabidopsis. PLANT METHODS 2021; 17:109. [PMID: 34702318 PMCID: PMC8549183 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-021-00810-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cellular components are controlled by genetic and physiological factors that define their shape and size. However, quantitively capturing the morphological characteristics and movement of cellular organelles from micrograph images is challenging, because the analysis deals with complexities of images that frequently lead to inaccuracy in the estimation of the features. Here we show a unique quantitative method to overcome biases and inaccuracy of biological samples from confocal micrographs. RESULTS We generated 2D images of cell walls and spindle-shaped cellular organelles, namely ER bodies, with a maximum contrast projection of 3D confocal fluorescent microscope images. The projected images were further processed and segmented by adaptive thresholding of the fluorescent levels in the cell walls. Micrographs are composed of pixels, which have information on position and intensity. From the pixel information we calculated three types of features (spatial, intensity and Haralick) in ER bodies corresponding to segmented cells. The spatial features include basic information on shape, e.g., surface area and perimeter. The intensity features include information on mean, standard deviation and quantile of fluorescence intensities within an ER body. Haralick features describe the texture features, which can be calculated mathematically from the interrelationship between the pixel information. Together these parameters were subjected to multivariate analysis to estimate the morphological diversity. Additionally, we calculated the displacement of the ER bodies using the positional information in time-lapse images. We captured similar morphological diversity and movement within ER body phenotypes in several microscopy experiments performed in different settings and scanned under different objectives. We then described differences in morphology and movement of ER bodies between A. thaliana wild type and mutants deficient in ER body-related genes. CONCLUSIONS The findings unexpectedly revealed multiple genetic factors that are involved in the shape and size of ER bodies in A. thaliana. This is the first report showing morphological characteristics in addition to the movement of cellular components and it quantitatively summarises plant phenotypic differences even in plants that show similar cellular components. The estimation of morphological diversity was independent of the cell staining method and the objective lens used in the microscopy. Hence, our study enables a robust estimation of plant phenotypes by recognizing small differences in complex cell organelle shapes and their movement, which is beneficial in a comprehensive analysis of the molecular mechanism for cell organelle formation that is independent of technical variations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arpan Kumar Basak
- Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | | | - Kazimierz Strzałka
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
- Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Department of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Kenji Yamada
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Sandor A, Fricker MD, Kriechbaumer V, Sweetlove LJ. IntEResting structures: formation and applications of organized smooth endoplasmic reticulum in plant cells. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 185:550-561. [PMID: 33822222 PMCID: PMC8892044 DOI: 10.1104/pp.20.00719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an organelle with remarkable plasticity, capable of rapidly changing its structure to accommodate different functions based on intra- and extracellular cues. One of the ER structures observed in plants is known as "organized smooth endoplasmic reticulum" (OSER), consisting of symmetrically stacked ER membrane arrays. In plants, these structures were first described in certain specialized tissues, e.g. the sieve elements of the phloem, and more recently in transgenic plants overexpressing ER membrane resident proteins. To date, much of the investigation of OSER focused on yeast and animal cells but research into plant OSER has started to grow. In this update, we give a succinct overview of research into the OSER phenomenon in plant cells with case studies highlighting both native and synthetic occurrences of OSER. We also assess the primary driving forces that trigger the formation of OSER, collating evidence from the literature to compare two competing theories for the origin of OSER: that OSER formation is initiated by oligomerizing protein accumulation in the ER membrane or that OSER is the result of ER membrane proliferation. This has long been a source of controversy in the field and here we suggest a way to integrate arguments from both sides into a single unifying theory. Finally, we discuss the potential biotechnological uses of OSER as a tool for the nascent plant synthetic biology field with possible applications as a synthetic microdomain for metabolic engineering and as an extensive membrane surface for synthetic chemistry or protein accumulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andras Sandor
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Mark D Fricker
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Verena Kriechbaumer
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Lee J Sweetlove
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Kriechbaumer V, Brandizzi F. The plant endoplasmic reticulum: an organized chaos of tubules and sheets with multiple functions. J Microsc 2020; 280:122-133. [PMID: 32426862 PMCID: PMC10895883 DOI: 10.1111/jmi.12909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The endoplasmic reticulum is a fascinating organelle at the core of the secretory pathway. It is responsible for the synthesis of one third of the cellular proteome and, in plant cells, it produces receptors and transporters of hormones as well as the proteins responsible for the biosynthesis of critical components of a cellulosic cell wall. The endoplasmic reticulum structure resembles a spider-web network of interconnected tubules and cisternae that pervades the cell. The study of the dynamics and interaction of this organelles with other cellular structures such as the plasma membrane, the Golgi apparatus and the cytoskeleton, have been permitted by the implementation of fluorescent protein and advanced confocal imaging. In this review, we report on the findings that contributed towards the understanding of the endoplasmic reticulum morphology and function with the aid of fluorescent proteins, focusing on the contributions provided by pioneering work from the lab of the late Professor Chris Hawes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- V Kriechbaumer
- Plant Cell Biology, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, U.K
| | - F Brandizzi
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, U.S.A
| |
Collapse
|