High lipid order of Arabidopsis cell-plate membranes mediated by sterol and DYNAMIN-RELATED PROTEIN1A function

Characterization of Subcellular Dynamics of Sterol Methyltransferases Clarifies Defective Cell Division in smt2 smt3, a C-24 Ethyl Sterol-Deficient Mutant of Arabidopsis

An Arabidopsis sterol mutant, smt2 smt3, defective in sterolmethyltransferase2 (SMT2), exhibits severe growth abnormalities. The loss of C-24 ethyl sterols, maintaining the biosynthesis of C-24 methyl sterols and brassinosteroids, suggests specific roles of C-24 ethyl sterols. We characterized the subcellular localizations of fluorescent protein-fused sterol biosynthetic enzymes, such as SMT2-GFP, and found these enzymes in the endoplasmic reticulum during interphase and identified their movement to the division plane during cytokinesis. The mobilization of endoplasmic reticulum-localized SMT2-GFP was independent of the polarized transport of cytokinetic vesicles to the division plane. In smt2 smt3, SMT2-GFP moved to the abnormal division plane, and unclear cell plate ends were surrounded by hazy structures from SMT2-GFP fluorescent signals and unincorporated cellulose debris. Unusual cortical microtubule organization and impaired cytoskeletal function accompanied the failure to determine the cortical division site and division plane formation. These results indicated that both endoplasmic reticulum membrane remodeling and cytokinetic vesicle transport during cytokinesis were impaired, resulting in the defects of cell wall generation. The cell wall integrity was compromised in the daughter cells, preventing the correct determination of the subsequent cell division site. We discuss the possible roles of C-24 ethyl sterols in the interaction between the cytoskeletal network and the plasma membrane.

Rapid translocation of NGR proteins driving polarization of PIN-activating D6 protein kinase during root gravitropism

Root gravitropic bending represents a fundamental aspect of terrestrial plant physiology. Gravity is perceived by sedimentation of starch-rich plastids (statoliths) to the bottom of the central root cap cells. Following gravity perception, intercellular auxin transport is redirected downwards leading to an asymmetric auxin accumulation at the lower root side causing inhibition of cell expansion, ultimately resulting in downwards bending. How gravity-induced statoliths repositioning is translated into asymmetric auxin distribution remains unclear despite PIN auxin efflux carriers and the Negative Gravitropic Response of roots (NGR) proteins polarize along statolith sedimentation, thus providing a plausible mechanism for auxin flow redirection. In this study, using a functional NGR1-GFP construct, we visualized the NGR1 localization on the statolith surface and plasma membrane (PM) domains in close proximity to the statoliths, correlating with their movements. We determined that NGR1 binding to these PM domains is indispensable for NGR1 functionality and relies on cysteine acylation and adjacent polybasic regions as well as on lipid and sterol PM composition. Detailed timing of the early events following graviperception suggested that both NGR1 repolarization and initial auxin asymmetry precede the visible PIN3 polarization. This discrepancy motivated us to unveil a rapid, NGR-dependent translocation of PIN-activating AGCVIII kinase D6PK towards lower PMs of gravity-perceiving cells, thus providing an attractive model for rapid redirection of auxin fluxes following gravistimulation.

Association of the Arabidopsis oleoyl Δ12-desaturase FAD2 with pre-cis-Golgi stacks at endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi-exit sites

The unsaturation of phospholipids influences the function of membranes. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the oleoyl Δ12-desaturase FAD2 converts oleic (18:1Δ9 ) to linoleic acid (18:2Δ9,12 ) and influences phospholipid unsaturation in different cellular membranes. Despite its importance, the precise localization of Arabidopsis FAD2 has not been unambiguously described. As FAD2 is thought to modify phospholipid-associated fatty acids at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), from where unsaturates are distributed to other cellular sites, we hypothesized that FAD2 locates to ER subdomains enabling trafficking of lipid intermediates through the secretory pathway. Fluorescent FAD2 fusions used to test this hypothesis were first assessed for functionality by heterologous expression in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), and in planta by Arabidopsis fad2 mutant rescue upon ectopic expression from an intrinsic FAD2 promoter fragment. Light sheet fluorescence, laser scanning confocal or spinning disc microscopy of roots, leaves, or mesophyll protoplasts showed the functional fluorescence-tagged FAD2 variants in flattened donut-shaped structures of ~0.5-1 μm diameter, in a pattern not resembling mere ER association. High-resolution imaging of coexpressed organellar markers showed fluorescence-tagged FAD2 in a ring-shaped pattern surrounding ER-proximal Golgi particles, colocalizing with pre-cis-Golgi markers. This localization required the unusual C-terminal retention signal of FAD2, and deletion or substitutions in this protein region resulted in relaxed distribution and diffuse association with the ER. The distinct association of FAD2 with pre-cis-Golgi stacks in Arabidopsis root and leaf tissue is consistent with a contribution of FAD2 to membrane lipid homeostasis through the secretory pathway, as verified by an increased plasma membrane liquid phase order in the fad2 mutant.

Regulators regulated: Different layers of control for plasma membrane phosphoinositides in plants

The membranes of plant cells serve diverse physiological roles, which are defined largely by the localized and dynamic recruitment of proteins. Signaling lipids, such as phosphoinositides, can aid protein recruitment to the plasma membrane via specific recognition of their head groups and influence vesicular trafficking, cytoskeletal dynamics and other processes, with ramifications for plant tissue architecture and development. Phosphoinositide abundance is dynamically regulated. Recent advances indicate various levels of control during development or upon environmental triggers, including transcriptional or posttranslational regulation of enzymes balancing biogenesis and degradation, or the nano-organization of membranes into self-organizing physiologically distinct microenvironments. As patterns of interlinked mechanisms emerge, the horizons of what we do not understand become more and more defined.

Cell biology of primary cell wall synthesis in plants

Building a complex structure such as the cell wall, with many individual parts that need to be assembled correctly from distinct sources within the cell, is a well-orchestrated process. Additional complexity is required to mediate dynamic responses to environmental and developmental cues. Enzymes, sugars, and other cell wall components are constantly and actively transported to and from the plasma membrane during diffuse growth. Cell wall components are transported in vesicles on cytoskeletal tracks composed of microtubules and actin filaments. Many of these components, and additional proteins, vesicles, and lipids are trafficked to and from the cell plate during cytokinesis. In this review, we first discuss how the cytoskeleton is initially organized to add new cell wall material or to build a new cell wall, focusing on similarities during these processes. Next, we discuss how polysaccharides and enzymes that build the cell wall are trafficked to the correct location by motor proteins and through other interactions with the cytoskeleton. Finally, we discuss some of the special features of newly formed cell walls generated during cytokinesis.

DYNAMIN-RELATED PROTEIN DRP1A functions with DRP2B in plant growth, flg22-immune responses, and endocytosis

Ligand-induced endocytosis of the immune receptor FLAGELLIN SENSING2 (FLS2) is critical for maintaining its proper abundance in the plasma membrane (PM) to initiate and subsequently down regulate cellular immune responses to bacterial flagellin or flg22-peptide. The molecular components governing PM abundance of FLS2, however, remain mostly unknown. Here, we identified Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) DYNAMIN-RELATED PROTEIN1A (DRP1A), a member of a plant-specific family of large dynamin GTPases, as a critical contributor to ligand-induced endocytosis of FLS2 and its physiological roles in flg22-signaling and immunity against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 bacteria in leaves. Notably, drp1a single mutants displayed similar flg22-defects as those previously reported for mutants in another dynamin-related protein, DRP2B, that was previously shown to colocalize with DRP1A. Our study also uncovered synergistic roles of DRP1A and DRP2B in plant growth and development as drp1a drp2b double mutants exhibited severely stunted roots and cotyledons, as well as defective cell shape, cytokinesis, and seedling lethality. Furthermore, drp1a drp2b double mutants hyperaccumulated FLS2 in the PM prior to flg22-treatment and exhibited a block in ligand-induced endocytosis of FLS2, indicating combinatorial roles for DRP1A and DRP1B in governing PM abundance of FLS2. However, the increased steady-state PM accumulation of FLS2 in drp1a drp2b double mutants did not result in increased flg22 responses. We propose that DRP1A and DRP2B are important for the regulation of PM-associated levels of FLS2 necessary to attain signaling competency to initiate distinct flg22 responses, potentially through modulating the lipid environment in defined PM domains.

Membrane Sterol Composition in Arabidopsis thaliana Affects Root Elongation via Auxin Biosynthesis

Plant membrane sterol composition has been reported to affect growth and gravitropism via polar auxin transport and auxin signaling. However, as to whether sterols influence auxin biosynthesis has received little attention. Here, by using the sterol biosynthesis mutant cyclopropylsterol isomerase1-1 (cpi1-1) and sterol application, we reveal that cycloeucalenol, a CPI1 substrate, and sitosterol, an end-product of sterol biosynthesis, antagonistically affect auxin biosynthesis. The short root phenotype of cpi1-1 was associated with a markedly enhanced auxin response in the root tip. Both were neither suppressed by mutations in polar auxin transport (PAT) proteins nor by treatment with a PAT inhibitor and responded to an auxin signaling inhibitor. However, expression of several auxin biosynthesis genes TRYPTOPHAN AMINOTRANSFERASE OF ARABIDOPSIS1 (TAA1) was upregulated in cpi1-1. Functionally, TAA1 mutation reduced the auxin response in cpi1-1 and partially rescued its short root phenotype. In support of this genetic evidence, application of cycloeucalenol upregulated expression of the auxin responsive reporter DR5:GUS (β-glucuronidase) and of several auxin biosynthesis genes, while sitosterol repressed their expression. Hence, our combined genetic, pharmacological, and sterol application studies reveal a hitherto unexplored sterol-dependent modulation of auxin biosynthesis during Arabidopsis root elongation.

The Nanoscale Organization of the Plasma Membrane and Its Importance in Signaling: A Proteolipid Perspective

Plasma membranes provide a highly selective environment for a large number of transmembrane and membrane-associated proteins. Whereas lateral movement of proteins in this lipid bilayer is possible, it is rather limited in turgid and cell wall-shielded plant cells. However, membrane-resident signaling processes occur on subsecond scales that cannot be explained by simple diffusion models. Accordingly, several receptors and other membrane-associated proteins are organized and functional in membrane nanodomains. Although the general presence of membrane nanodomains has become widely accepted as fact, fundamental functional aspects, the roles of individual lipid species and their interplay with proteins, and aspects of nanodomain maintenance and persistence remain poorly understood. Here, we review the current knowledge of nanodomain organization and function, with a particular focus on signaling processes involving proteins, lipids, and their interactions. Furthermore, we propose new and hypothetical aspects of plant membrane biology that we consider important for future research.

Drought stress stimulates endocytosis and modifies membrane lipid order of rhizodermal cells of Medicago truncatula in a genotype-dependent manner

BACKGROUND

Drought stress negatively affects plant growth and productivity. Plants sense soil drought at the root level but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. At the cell level, we aim to reveal the short-term root perception of drought stress through membrane dynamics.

RESULTS

In our study, 15 Medicago truncatula accessions were exposed to a polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced drought stress, leading to contrasted ecophysiological responses, in particular related to root architecture plasticity. In the reference accession Jemalong A17, identified as drought susceptible, we analyzed lateral roots by imaging of membrane-localized fluorescent probes using confocal microscopy. We found that PEG stimulated endocytosis especially in cells belonging to the growth differentiation zone (GDZ). The mapping of membrane lipid order in cells along the root apex showed that membranes of root cap cells were more ordered than those of more differentiated cells. Moreover, PEG triggered a significant increase in membrane lipid order of rhizodermal cells from the GDZ. We initiated the membrane analysis in the drought resistant accession HM298, which did not reveal such membrane modifications in response to PEG.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data demonstrated that the plasma membranes of root cells from a susceptible genotype perceived drought stress by modulating their physical state both via a stimulation of endocytosis and a modification of the degree of lipid order, which could be proposed as mechanisms required for signal transduction.

Cell stage appears critical for control of plasma membrane order in plant cells

Lipids and proteins modulate both the global order of plasma membrane (PM) and its organization in distinct domains. This raises the question of the influence on PM-ordered domain formation of PM composition, which is finely controlled during cell differentiation. Labeling of plant cell PM with an environment-sensitive probe demonstrated that the level of PM order is regulated during anisotropic expansion observed during both cell regeneration from protoplasts and cell differentiation along the growing root. Indeed, PM order progressively decreased during the polarized growth of regenerated tobacco cells, without observed correlation between this parameter and the kinetics of either cell wall regeneration or cell morphology. This suggests that the dynamics of PM formation and renewal could control the PM organization, maybe by involving the secretory pathway.

Plant lipids: Key players of plasma membrane organization and function

The plasma membrane (PM) is the biological membrane that separates the interior of all cells from the outside. The PM is constituted of a huge diversity of proteins and lipids. In this review, we will update the diversity of molecular species of lipids found in plant PM. We will further discuss how lipids govern global properties of the plant PM, explaining that plant lipids are unevenly distributed and are able to organize PM in domains. From that observation, it emerges a complex picture showing a spatial and multiscale segregation of PM components. Finally, we will discuss how lipids are key players in the function of PM in plants, with a particular focus on plant-microbe interaction, transport and hormone signaling, abiotic stress responses, plasmodesmata function. The last chapter is dedicated to the methods that the plant membrane biology community needs to develop to get a comprehensive understanding of membrane organization in plants.

Divide and Rule: Plant Plasma Membrane Organization

Since the publication of the fluid mosaic as a relevant model for biological membranes, accumulating evidence has revealed the outstanding complexity of the composition and organization of the plant plasma membrane (PM). Powerful new methodologies have uncovered the remarkable multiscale and multicomponent heterogeneity of PM subcompartmentalization, and this is emerging as a general trait with different features and properties. It is now evident that the dynamics of such a complex organization are intrinsically related to signaling pathways that regulate key physiological processes. Listing and linking recent progress in precisely qualifying these heterogeneities will help to draw an integrated picture of the plant PM. Understanding the key principles governing such a complex dynamic organization will contribute to deciphering the crucial role of the PM in cell physiology.

Inroads into Internalization: Five Years of Endocytic Exploration

Advances over recent years underlines a growing interest in investigating endocytosis in plants.

Freezing Tolerance of Plant Cells: From the Aspect of Plasma Membrane and Microdomain

Freezing stress is accompanied by a state change from water to ice and has multiple facets causing dehydration; consequently, hyperosmotic and mechanical stresses coupled with unfavorable chilling stress act in a parallel way. Freezing tolerance varies widely among plant species, and, for example, most temperate plants can overcome deleterious effects caused by freezing temperatures in winter. Destabilization and dysfunction of the plasma membrane are tightly linked to freezing injury of plant cells. Plant freezing tolerance increases upon exposure to nonfreezing low temperatures (cold acclimation). Recent studies have unveiled pleiotropic responses of plasma membrane lipids and proteins to cold acclimation. In addition, advanced techniques have given new insights into plasma membrane structural non-homogeneity, namely, microdomains. This chapter describes physiological implications of plasma membrane responses enhancing freezing tolerance during cold acclimation, with a focus on microdomains.

Phosphoinositide signaling in plant development

The membranes of eukaryotic cells create hydrophobic barriers that control substance and information exchange between the inside and outside of cells and between cellular compartments. Besides their roles as membrane building blocks, some membrane lipids, such as phosphoinositides (PIs), also exert regulatory effects. Indeed, emerging evidence indicates that PIs play crucial roles in controlling polarity and growth in plants. Here, I highlight the key roles of PIs as important regulatory membrane lipids in plant development and function.

Guilt by Association: A Phenotype-Based View of the Plant Phosphoinositide Network

Eukaryotic membranes contain small amounts of phospholipids that have regulatory effects on the physiological functions of cells, tissues, and organs. Phosphoinositides (PIs)-the phosphorylated derivatives of phosphatidylinositol-are one example of such regulatory lipids. Although PIs were described in plants decades ago, their contribution to the regulation of physiological processes in plants is not well understood. In the past few years, evidence has emerged that PIs are essential for plant function and development. Recently reported phenotypes associated with the perturbation of different PIs suggest that some subgroups of PIs influence specific processes. Although the molecular targets of PI-dependent regulation in plants are largely unknown, the effects of perturbed PI metabolism can be used to propose regulatory modules that involve particular downstream targets of PI regulation. This review summarizes phenotypes associated with the perturbation of the plant PI network to categorize functions and suggest possible downstream targets of plant PI regulation.

A Framework for Lateral Membrane Trafficking and Polar Tethering of the PEN3 ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter

The outermost cell layer of plants, the epidermis, and its outer (lateral) membrane domain facing the environment are continuously challenged by biotic and abiotic stresses. Therefore, the epidermis and the outer membrane domain provide important selective and protective barriers. However, only a small number of specifically outer membrane-localized proteins are known. Similarly, molecular mechanisms underlying the trafficking and the polar placement of outer membrane domain proteins require further exploration. Here, we demonstrate that ACTIN7 (ACT7) mediates trafficking of the PENETRATION3 (PEN3) outer membrane protein from the trans-Golgi network (TGN) to the plasma membrane in the root epidermis of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and that actin function contributes to PEN3 endocytic recycling. In contrast to such generic ACT7-dependent trafficking from the TGN, the EXOCYST84b (EXO84b) tethering factor mediates PEN3 outer-membrane polarity. Moreover, precise EXO84b placement at the outer membrane domain itself requires ACT7 function. Hence, our results uncover spatially and mechanistically distinct requirements for ACT7 function during outer lateral membrane cargo trafficking and polarity establishment. They further identify an exocyst tethering complex mediator of outer lateral membrane cargo polarity.

DRP1-Dependent Endocytosis is Essential for Polar Localization and Boron-Induced Degradation of the Borate Transporter BOR1 in Arabidopsis thaliana

Boron (B) is essential for plants but toxic in excess. The borate efflux transporter BOR1 is expressed in various root cells and localized to the inner/stele-side domain of the plasma membrane (PM) under low-B conditions. BOR1 is rapidly degraded through endocytosis upon sufficient B supply. The polar localization and degradation of BOR1 are considered important for efficient B translocation and avoidance of B toxicity, respectively. In this study, we first analyzed the subcellular localization of BOR1 in roots, cotyledons and hypocotyls, and revealed a polar localization in various cell types. We also found that the inner polarity of BOR1 is established after completion of cytokinesis in the root meristem. Moreover, variable-angle epifluorescence microscopy visualized BOR1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) as particles in the PM with significant lateral movements but in restricted areas. Importantly, a portion of BOR1-GFP particles co-localized with DYNAMIN-RELATED PROTEIN 1A (DRP1A), which is involved in scission of the clathrin-coated vesicles, and they disappeared together from the PM. To examine the contribution of DRP1A-mediated endocytosis to BOR1 localization and degradation, we developed an inducible expression system of the DRP1A K47A variant. The DRP1A variant prolonged the residence time of clathrin on the PM and inhibited endocytosis of membrane lipids. The dominant-negative DRP1A blocked endocytosis of BOR1 and disturbed its polar localization and B-induced degradation. Our results provided insight into the endocytic mechanisms that modulate the subcellular localization and abundance of a mineral transporter for nutrient homeostasis in plant cells.

Identification of Phosphoinositide-Binding Protein PATELLIN2 as a Substrate of Arabidopsis MPK4 MAP Kinase during Septum Formation in Cytokinesis

The phosphorylation of proteins by protein kinases controls many cellular and physiological processes, which include intracellular signal transduction. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of such controls and numerous substrates of protein kinases remain to be characterized. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade is of particular importance in a variety of extracellular and intracellular signaling processes. In plant cells, the progression of cytokinesis is an excellent example of an intracellular phenomenon that requires the MAPK cascade. However, the way in which MAPKs control downstream processes during cytokinesis in plant cells remains to be fully determined. We show here that comparisons, by two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis, of phosphorylated proteins from wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana and mutant plants defective in a MAPK cascade allow identification of substrates of a specific MAPK. Using this method, we identified the PATELLIN2 (PATL2) protein, which has a SEC14 domain, as a substrate of MPK4 MAP kinase. PATL2 was concentrated at the cell division plane, as is MPK4, and had binding affinity for phosphoinositides. This binding affinity was altered after phosphorylation of PATL2 by MPK4, suggesting a role for the MAPK cascade in the formation of cell plates via regeneration of membranes during cytokinesis.

Ratiometric Fluorescence Live Imaging Analysis of Membrane Lipid Order in Arabidopsis Mitotic Cells Using a Lipid Order-Sensitive Probe

Eukaryotic cells contain membranes exhibiting different levels of lipid order mostly related to their relative amount of sterol-rich domains, thought to mediate temporal and spatial organization of cellular processes. We previously provided evidence in Arabidopsis thaliana that sterols are crucial for execution of cytokinesis, the last stage of cell division. Recently, we used di-4-ANEPPDHQ, a fluorescent probe sensitive to order of lipid phases, to quantify the level of membrane order of the cell plate, the membrane structure separating daughter cells during somatic cytokinesis of higher plant cells. By employing quantitative, ratiometric fluorescence microscopy for mapping localized lipid order levels, we revealed that the Arabidopsis cell plate represents a high-lipid-order domain of the plasma membrane. Here, we describe step-by-step protocols and troubleshooting for ratiometric live imaging procedures employing the di-4-ANEPPDHQ fluorescent probe for quantification of membrane lipid order during plant cell division in suspension cell cultures and roots of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Endomembrane trafficking overarching cell plate formation

By contrast to other eukaryotic kingdoms, plant cytokinesis is an inside-out process. A coordinated action of cytoskeletal transitions and endomembrane trafficking events builds a novel membrane compartment, the cell plate. Deposition of cell wall polymers transforms the lumen of this membrane compartment into a new cross wall, physically separating the daughter cells. The characterization of tethering complexes acting at discrete phases during cell plate formation and upstream of vesicle fusion events, the presence of modulators directing secretion and recycling during cytokinesis, as well as the identification and temporal recruitment of the endocytic machinery, provides a starting point to dissect the transitions in endomembrane trafficking which shape this process. This review aims to integrate recent findings on endomembrane trafficking events which spatio-temporally act to construct the cell plate.

Diversification of sterol methyltransferase enzymes in plants and a role for β-sitosterol in oriented cell plate formation and polarized growth

Phytosterols are classified into C24-ethylsterols and C24-methylsterols according to the different C24-alkylation levels conferred by two types of sterol methyltransferases (SMTs). The first type of SMT (SMT1) is widely conserved, whereas the second type (SMT2) has diverged in charophytes and land plants. The Arabidopsis smt2 smt3 mutant is defective in the SMT2 step, leading to deficiency in C24-ethylsterols while the C24-methylsterol pathway is unchanged. smt2 smt3 plants exhibit severe dwarfism and abnormal development throughout their life cycle, with irregular cell division followed by collapsed cell files. Preprophase bands are occasionally formed in perpendicular directions in adjacent cells, and abnormal phragmoplasts with mislocalized KNOLLE syntaxin and tubulin are observed. Defects in auxin-dependent processes are exemplified by mislocalizations of the PIN2 auxin efflux carrier due to disrupted cell division and failure to distribute PIN2 asymmetrically after cytokinesis. Although endocytosis of PIN2-GFP from the plasma membrane (PM) is apparently unaffected in smt2 smt3, strong inhibition of the endocytic recycling is associated with a remarkable reduction in the level of PIN2-GFP on the PM. Aberrant localization of the cytoplasmic linker associated protein (CLASP) and microtubules is implicated in the disrupted endocytic recycling in smt2 smt3. Exogenous C24-ethylsterols partially recover lateral root development and auxin distribution in smt2 smt3 roots. These results indicate that C24-ethylsterols play a crucial role in division plane determination, directional auxin transport, and polar growth. It is proposed that the divergence of SMT2 genes together with the ability to produce C24-ethylsterols were critical events to achieve polarized growth in the plant lineage.

Arabidopsis D6PK is a lipid domain-dependent mediator of root epidermal planar polarity

Development of diverse multicellular organisms relies on coordination of single-cell polarities within the plane of the tissue layer (planar polarity). Cell polarity often involves plasma membrane heterogeneity generated by accumulation of specific lipids and proteins into membrane subdomains. Coordinated hair positioning along Arabidopsis root epidermal cells provides a planar polarity model in plants, but knowledge about the functions of proteo-lipid domains in planar polarity signalling remains limited. Here we show that Rho-of-plant (ROP) 2 and 6, phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase 3 (PIP5K3), DYNAMIN-RELATED PROTEIN (DRP) 1A and DRP2B accumulate in a sterol-enriched, polar membrane domain during root hair initiation. DRP1A, DRP2B, PIP5K3 and sterols are required for planar polarity and the AGCVIII kinase D6 PROTEIN KINASE (D6PK) is a modulator of this process. D6PK undergoes phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate- and sterol-dependent basal-to-planar polarity switching into the polar, lipid-enriched domain just before hair formation, unravelling lipid-dependent D6PK localization during late planar polarity signalling.

Cytoskeletal Components Define Protein Location to Membrane Microdomains

The plasma membrane is an important compartment that undergoes dynamic changes in composition upon external or internal stimuli. The dynamic subcompartmentation of proteins in ordered low-density (DRM) and disordered high-density (DSM) membrane phases is hypothesized to require interactions with cytoskeletal components. Here, we systematically analyzed the effects of actin or tubulin disruption on the distribution of proteins between membrane density phases. We used a proteomic screen to identify candidate proteins with altered submembrane location, followed by biochemical or cell biological characterization in Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that several proteins, such as plasma membrane ATPases, receptor kinases, or remorins resulted in a differential distribution between membrane density phases upon cytoskeletal disruption. Moreover, in most cases, contrasting effects were observed: Disruption of actin filaments largely led to a redistribution of proteins from DRM to DSM membrane fractions while disruption of tubulins resulted in general depletion of proteins from the membranes. We conclude that actin filaments are necessary for dynamic movement of proteins between different membrane phases and that microtubules are not necessarily important for formation of microdomains as such, but rather they may control the protein amount present in the membrane phases.

The song of lipids and proteins: dynamic lipid-protein interfaces in the regulation of plant cell polarity at different scales

Successful establishment and maintenance of cell polarity is crucial for many aspects of plant development, cellular morphogenesis, response to pathogen attack, and reproduction. Polar cell growth depends on integrating membrane and cell-wall dynamics with signal transduction pathways, changes in ion membrane transport, and regulation of vectorial vesicle trafficking and the dynamic actin cytoskeleton. In this review, we address the critical importance of protein-membrane crosstalk in the determination of plant cell polarity and summarize the role of membrane lipids, particularly minor acidic phospholipids, in regulation of the membrane traffic. We focus on the protein-membrane interface dynamics and discuss the current state of knowledge on three partially overlapping levels of descriptions. Finally, due to their multiscale and interdisciplinary nature, we stress the crucial importance of combining different strategies ranging from microscopic methods to computational modelling in protein-membrane studies.

Mapping of Membrane Lipid Order in Root Apex Zones of Arabidopsis thaliana

In this study, we used the fluorescence probe, Di-4-ANEPPDHQ, to map the distribution of membrane lipid order in the apical region of Arabidopsis roots. The generalized polarization (GP) value of Di-4-ANEPPDHQ-stained roots indicated the highest lipid order in the root transition zone (RTZ). The cortical cells have higher lipid order than the epidermal cells in same regions, while the developing root hairs show very prominent cell polarity with high lipid order in apical region. Moreover, the endosomes had lower lipid order than that of the plasma membrane (PM). Brefeldin A (BFA) treatment decreased the lipid order in both the plasma and endosomal membranes of epidermal cells in the RTZ. The lipid order of BFA-induced compartments became higher than that of the PM after BFA treatment in epidermal cells. Meanwhile, the polarly growing tips of root hairs did not show the same behavior. The lipid order of the PM remained unchanged, with higher values than that of the endosomes. This suggests that the lipid ordering in the PM was affected by recycling of endosomal vesicles in epidermal cells of the root apex transition zone but not in the root hairs of Arabidopsis.