Ebook: The Plant Cytoskeleton: a Key Tool for Agro-Biotechnology

Essential processes in biology such as cell and nuclear division, development, intracellular transport and physiological response, rely on the perception of environmental and intracellular signals and their transduction to subcellular targets. The mechanisms by which these signals are received by cells and transduced towards the proper targets by cytoskeletal components constitute one of the most important and rapidly developing areas in modern plant biology. In addition, fundamentally important responses of plants to biotic and abiotic factors also involve signalling to and through the cytoskeleton, which helps explain the current interest of biotechnology in this field of fundamental research. Manipulation of cytoskeletal components, the microtubules and microfilaments, had, until recently, not been a priority issue for plant biotechnology. However, given the fundamental role of the cytoskeleton during plant growth and development, the potential for biotechnological applications is immense. The NATO Advanced Research Workshop, “The Plant Cytoskeleton: Genomic and Bioinformatic Tools for Biotechnology and Agriculture” was held in Yalta, Ukraine, from September 19 to 23, 2006 – which continued the tradition of the first two International Symposia “Plant Cytoskeleton: Molecular Keys for Biotechnology” (Yalta, Ukraine, 1998) and “The Plant Cytoskeleton: functional diversity and biotechnological implications” (Kiev, Ukraine, 2002).

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The cytoskeleton is a key intracellular structure governing relevant processes such as cell division, growth, molecule trafficking, response to internal and external signals, and others. The ambitious aim of this monograph is to deal with the cytoskeleton as the ‘server’ for these numerous and multi-tasked nodes. The monograph’s content focuses on problems relevant to understanding the structural and functional organisation of the plant cytoskeleton at the single cell and whole plant levels, including the possibility of directly utilizing these functions for practical purposes in agriculture, food safety and health. As a result of advances in plant genomics, cell and molecular biology, special chapters represent new information about genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics of the plant cytoskeleton. In addition to presenting achievements attained in basic research of the plant cytoskeleton, a comprehensive review of applications in biotechnology and agriculture is presented. Special attention is devoted to current achievements in plant biotechnology through manipulating the cytoskeleton structure and functions, and prospects for the development in different professional venues, including industrial/agricultural implementation.

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The cytoskeleton is a key intracellular structure governing relevant processes such as cell division, growth, molecule trafficking, response to internal and external signals, and others. The ambitious aim of this monograph is to deal with the cytoskeleton as the ‘server’ for these numerous and multi-tasked nodes. The monograph’s content focuses on problems relevant to understanding the structural and functional organisation of the plant cytoskeleton at the single cell and whole plant levels, including the possibility of directly utilizing these functions for practical purposes in agriculture, food safety and health. As a result of advances in plant genomics, cell and molecular biology, special chapters represent new information about genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics of the plant cytoskeleton. In addition to presenting achievements attained in basic research of the plant cytoskeleton, a comprehensive review of applications in biotechnology and agriculture is presented. Special attention is devoted to current achievements in plant biotechnology through manipulating the cytoskeleton structure and functions, and prospects for the development in different professional venues, including industrial/agricultural implementation.

Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xvii
Plant Gamma-Tusc-Like Components: Their Role In Microtubule Nucleation....Pages 3-22
Gamma-Tubulins And Their Functions In Plant Cells....Pages 23-43
Coiled-Coil- And Intermediate Filament-Proteins In The Plant Nucleoskeleton....Pages 45-69
Microtubules And The Control Of Cell Elongation In Arabidopsis Roots....Pages 73-90
Regulation Of Root Hair Tip Growth: Can Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases Be Taken Into Account?....Pages 91-128
Cytoskeletal Changes During Spermatogenesis In Chara Antheridia....Pages 129-142
Plant Tubulin Phosphorylation And Its Role In Cell Cycle Progression....Pages 145-159
Plant Myosins: Do They Have Roles In Gravi- And Mechanosensing?....Pages 161-172
The Role Of The Cytoskeleton In Plant Cell Gravisensitivity....Pages 173-196
The Importance Of Being An Intron, By Wild....Type Tubulin Genes....Pages 199-218
The Transcriptome Of The Tubulin Gene Family In Plants....Pages 219-241
Array Technology For Studying Maize Tubulin....Pages 243-264
The Microtubule Proteome: A Role in Regulating Protein Synthesis and Import Into Organelles?....Pages 267-281
Qualitative And Quantitative Analyses Of ?-Tubulin Cva (C-Terminal Variable Acidic Amino Acid Region) By Maldi-Tof Mass-Spectrometry....Pages 283-301
Tubulin Isotypes And Their Role In Microtubule Dynamic Instability, Implications For Modeling And Rational Design Of Inhibitors....Pages 305-326
Dinitroaniline Interactions with Tubulin: Genetic and Computational Approaches to Define the Mechanisms of Action and Resistance....Pages 327-349
Domain Complexity Of Plant Kinesins....Pages 351-372
Bioinformatic Search For Plant Homologues Of Animal Structural Maps In The Arabidopsis Thaliana Genome....Pages 373-394
Spatial Distribution Of Tubulin Mutations Conferring Resistance To Antimicrotubular Compounds....Pages 397-417
Antimitotic Drugs For Microprotoplast-Mediated Chromosome Transfer In Plant Genomics, Cell Engineering And Breeding....Pages 419-434
Back Matter....Pages 455-457
Modified Tubulin Genes as Selectable Markers for Plant Transformation....Pages 435-454

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The cytoskeleton is a key intracellular structure governing relevant processes such as cell division, growth, molecule trafficking, response to internal and external signals, and others. The ambitious aim of this monograph is to deal with the cytoskeleton as the ‘server’ for these numerous and multi-tasked nodes. The monograph’s content focuses on problems relevant to understanding the structural and functional organisation of the plant cytoskeleton at the single cell and whole plant levels, including the possibility of directly utilizing these functions for practical purposes in agriculture, food safety and health. As a result of advances in plant genomics, cell and molecular biology, special chapters represent new information about genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics of the plant cytoskeleton. In addition to presenting achievements attained in basic research of the plant cytoskeleton, a comprehensive review of applications in biotechnology and agriculture is presented. Special attention is devoted to current achievements in plant biotechnology through manipulating the cytoskeleton structure and functions, and prospects for the development in different professional venues, including industrial/agricultural implementation.

Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xvii
Plant Gamma-Tusc-Like Components: Their Role In Microtubule Nucleation....Pages 3-22
Gamma-Tubulins And Their Functions In Plant Cells....Pages 23-43
Coiled-Coil- And Intermediate Filament-Proteins In The Plant Nucleoskeleton....Pages 45-69
Microtubules And The Control Of Cell Elongation In Arabidopsis Roots....Pages 73-90
Regulation Of Root Hair Tip Growth: Can Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases Be Taken Into Account?....Pages 91-128
Cytoskeletal Changes During Spermatogenesis In Chara Antheridia....Pages 129-142
Plant Tubulin Phosphorylation And Its Role In Cell Cycle Progression....Pages 145-159
Plant Myosins: Do They Have Roles In Gravi- And Mechanosensing?....Pages 161-172
The Role Of The Cytoskeleton In Plant Cell Gravisensitivity....Pages 173-196
The Importance Of Being An Intron, By Wild....Type Tubulin Genes....Pages 199-218
The Transcriptome Of The Tubulin Gene Family In Plants....Pages 219-241
Array Technology For Studying Maize Tubulin....Pages 243-264
The Microtubule Proteome: A Role in Regulating Protein Synthesis and Import Into Organelles?....Pages 267-281
Qualitative And Quantitative Analyses Of ?-Tubulin Cva (C-Terminal Variable Acidic Amino Acid Region) By Maldi-Tof Mass-Spectrometry....Pages 283-301
Tubulin Isotypes And Their Role In Microtubule Dynamic Instability, Implications For Modeling And Rational Design Of Inhibitors....Pages 305-326
Dinitroaniline Interactions with Tubulin: Genetic and Computational Approaches to Define the Mechanisms of Action and Resistance....Pages 327-349
Domain Complexity Of Plant Kinesins....Pages 351-372
Bioinformatic Search For Plant Homologues Of Animal Structural Maps In The Arabidopsis Thaliana Genome....Pages 373-394
Spatial Distribution Of Tubulin Mutations Conferring Resistance To Antimicrotubular Compounds....Pages 397-417
Antimitotic Drugs For Microprotoplast-Mediated Chromosome Transfer In Plant Genomics, Cell Engineering And Breeding....Pages 419-434
Back Matter....Pages 455-457
Modified Tubulin Genes as Selectable Markers for Plant Transformation....Pages 435-454
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