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. 2021 Aug 3;16(8):1920192.
doi: 10.1080/15592324.2021.1920192. Epub 2021 May 4.

Formins control dynamics of F-actin in the central cell of Arabidopsis thaliana

Mohammad Foteh Ali  1 , Tomokazu Kawashima  1
Affiliations

Formins control dynamics of F-actin in the central cell of Arabidopsis thaliana

Mohammad Foteh Ali et al. Plant Signal Behav. .

Abstract

In the female gamete of flowering plants, sperm nuclear migration is controlled by a constant inward movement of actin filaments (F-actin) for successful fertilization. This dynamic F-actin movement is ARP2/3-independent, raising the question of how actin nucleation and polymerization is controlled in the female gamete. Using confocal microscopy live-cell imaging in combination with a pharmacological approach, we assessed the involvement of another group of actin nucleators, formins, in F-actin inward movement in the central cell of Arabidopsis thaliana. We identify that the inhibition of the formin function, by formin inhibitor SMIFH2, significantly reduced the dynamic inward movement of F-actin in the central cell, indicating that formins play a major role in actin nucleation required for F-actin inward movement in the central cell.

Keywords: F-actin; Formin; SMIFH2; female gamete; fertilization.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Application of SMIFH2 reduced F-actin inward movement in the Arabidopsis central cell. (a) Scheme of Arabidopsis mature ovule. Arrows indicate the inward movement of F-actin from plasma membrane toward central cell nucleus. (b)–(e) Time-lapse stacks of Z-projected central cell F-actin images (1-min interval images, marked by five different colors) of mock (b), SMIFH2 10 µM (c), 20 µM (d), and 50 µM (e). Dashed circles indicate the position of the central cell nucleus. F-actin marked by different colors denotes F-actin inward movement. White results from overlapping of all colors, representing less or no movement. (f)–(g) average velocity of F-actin in the central cell. Levels not connected by the same letter (a–b) are significantly different (P < .001; Tukey–Kramer HSD test) (f). **, P < .001; ns, not significant; Tukey–Kramer HSD test (g). (Scale bar, 20 μm)
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Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation [IOS-1928836]; National Institute of Food and Agriculture [1014280]