Plants have ancient classes of reproductive and vegetative actin genes with distinct expression patterns. During the last grant period we have examined the hypothesis that these ancient actin genes were preserved throughout vascular plant evolution because they have distinct patterns of regulation and/or because they express functionally distinct actin protein isovariants. We have extended our research to include the profiling and actin-related protein (ARP) families, and have identified more than 200 actin binding proteins (ABP) encoded by the Arabidopsis genome. Mutations in actin, profiling, and ARP genes have resulted in a variety of informative phenotypes ranging from those affecting cell, organ, and plant size to extreme morphological differences including alterations in cell polarity, sterility, and embryo lethality. We have explored the importance of actin protein isovariants by making numerous subclass- and isovariant-specific monoclonal antibodies to examine their distinct expression patterns. We have demonstrated that ectopic expression, but not overexpression, of actin isovariants dramatically disrupts the development of most organs and tissues During the next grant period we will apply a wide variety of cell biological, molecular, and genetic approaches to our research dissecting the roles of different isovariants of the actins, ARPs, and ABPs. Our new Specific Aims are: 1) to characterize the phenotypes of Arabidopsis actin, ARP, and profiling mutants and combinations of mutants focusing on the most distinct functions of these genes; 2) to investigate the functional significance of various actin isovariants to organ, tissue, and cell development; 3) to identify the significance of organ and tissue specific expression of actin-binding protein isovariants (ABPs) (e.g., profiling, ADF), and 4) to construct plants with a minimal complement of reproductive and vegetative isovariants to further characterize differences among actin and ABP isovariants.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
3R01GM036397-20S1
Application #
7166706
Study Section
Cell Development and Function Integrated Review Group (CDF)
Program Officer
Rodewald, Richard D
Project Start
1986-04-01
Project End
2007-12-31
Budget Start
2006-01-01
Budget End
2006-12-31
Support Year
20
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$5,778
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Georgia
Department
Genetics
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
004315578
City
Athens
State
GA
Country
United States
Zip Code
30602
Müssar, Kristofer J; Kandasamy, Muthugapatti K; McKinney, Elizabeth C et al. (2015) Arabidopsis plants deficient in constitutive class profilins reveal independent and quantitative genetic effects. BMC Plant Biol 15:177
Roy-Zokan, Eileen M; Dyer, Kelly A; Meagher, Richard B (2015) Phylogenetic Patterns of Codon Evolution in the ACTIN-DEPOLYMERIZING FACTOR/COFILIN (ADF/CFL) Gene Family. PLoS One 10:e0145917
Kandasamy, Muthugapatti K; McKinney, Elizabeth C; Roy, Eileen et al. (2015) Ascomycete fungal actins differentially support plant spatial cell and organ development. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 72:80-92
Kandasamy, Muthugapatti K; McKinney, Elizabeth C; Roy, Eileen et al. (2012) Plant vegetative and animal cytoplasmic actins share functional competence for spatial development with protists. Plant Cell 24:2041-57
Henty, Jessica L; Bledsoe, Samuel W; Khurana, Parul et al. (2011) Arabidopsis actin depolymerizing factor4 modulates the stochastic dynamic behavior of actin filaments in the cortical array of epidermal cells. Plant Cell 23:3711-26
Kandasamy, Muthugapatti K; McKinney, Elizabeth C; Meagher, Richard B (2010) Differential sublocalization of actin variants within the nucleus. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 67:729-43
Meagher, Richard B (2010) The evolution of epitype. Plant Cell 22:1658-66
Smith, Aaron P; Jain, Ajay; Deal, Roger B et al. (2010) Histone H2A.Z regulates the expression of several classes of phosphate starvation response genes but not as a transcriptional activator. Plant Physiol 152:217-25
Meagher, Richard B; Kandasamy, Muthugapatti K; Smith, Aaron P et al. (2010) Nuclear actin-related proteins at the core of epigenetic control. Plant Signal Behav 5:518-22
Price, Paul W; McKinney, Elizabeth C; Wang, Youliang et al. (2009) Engineered cell surface expression of membrane immunoglobulin as a means to identify monoclonal antibody-secreting hybridomas. J Immunol Methods 343:28-41

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