Yann Duroc

A protein phosphatase 2A complex spatially controls plant cell division

In the absence of cell migration, the orientation of cell divisions is crucial for body plan determination in plants. The position of the division plane in plant cells is set up premitotically via a transient cytoskeletal array, the preprophase band, which precisely delineates the cortical plane of division. Here we describe a protein complex that targets protein phosphatase 2A activity to microtubules, regulating the transition from the interphase to the premitotic microtubule array. This complex, which comprises TONNEAU1 and a PP2A heterotrimeric holoenzyme with FASS as regulatory subunit, is recruited to the cytoskeleton via the TONNEAU1-recruiting motif family of proteins. Despite the acentrosomal nature of plant cells, all members of this complex share similarity with animal centrosomal proteins involved in ciliary and centriolar/centrosomal functions, revealing an evolutionary link between the cortical cytoskeleton of plant cells and microtubule organizers in other eukaryotes.

The Arabidopsis TRM1–TON1 Interaction Reveals a Recruitment Network Common to Plant Cortical Microtubule Arrays and Eukaryotic Centrosomes

TON1 is essential for cortical microtubule organization and preprophase band formation in plants. This work describes a superfamily of Arabidopsis thaliana proteins (TRMs) interacting with TON1 and show that TRM1 is able to target TON1 to microtubules. Partial sequence conservation of TON1 and TRMs with animal proteins points to a common protein network involved in centrosomal and cytoskeletal functions in eukaryotes. Land plant cells assemble microtubule arrays without a conspicuous microtubule organizing center like a centrosome. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the TONNEAU1 (TON1) proteins, which share similarity with FOP, a human centrosomal protein, are essential for microtubule organization at the cortex. We have identified a novel superfamily of 34 proteins conserved in land plants, the TON1 Recruiting Motif (TRM) proteins, which share six short conserved motifs, including a TON1-interacting motif present in all TRMs. An archetypal member of this family, TRM1, is a microtubule-associated protein that localizes to cortical microtubules and binds microtubules in vitro. Not all TRM proteins can bind microtubules, suggesting a diversity of functions for this family. In addition, we show that TRM1 interacts in vivo with TON1 and is able to target TON1 to cortical microtubules via its C-terminal TON1 interaction motif. Interestingly, three motifs of TRMs are found in CAP350, a human centrosomal protein interacting with FOP, and the C-terminal M2 motif of CAP350 is responsible for FOP recruitment at the centrosome. Moreover, we found that TON1 can interact with the human CAP350 M2 motif in yeast. Taken together, our results suggest conservation of eukaryotic centrosomal components in plant cells.

Structure-activity relationship analysis of the peptide deformylase inhibitor 5-bromo-1H-indole-3-acetohydroxamic acid.

SAR by NMR: A series of indole compounds derived from 5‐bromo‐1H‐indole‐3‐acetohydroxamic acid were synthesized. Their inhibitory activities were evaluated against purified peptide deformylases (PDFs), and their antibacterial activities against B. subtilis, E. coli (wild type and tolC), and a variety of pathogens were also determined. The potency of the best inhibitors was related to the NMR footprints of the respective acids with 15N‐labeled E. coli Ni‐PDF.

The preprophase band of microtubules controls the robustness of division orientation in plants

Refined understanding of the preprophase band Because plant cells do not move, plant tissues are constructed according to how they place the divisions of their constituent cells. Schaefer et al. found a mutation in the model plant Arabidopsis that abolishes a visible precursor of cell division, the preprophase band. Despite loss of the band—previously thought essential to define the division plane—the general orientations of cell division planes in the roots of these plants were normal. However, individual division orientations showed more variance than normal. Thus, the preprophase band serves to focus and refine the final orientation of the nascent cell division plane. Science, this issue p. 186 A structure thought to be required for division plane selection in plants merely refines division plane position by reducing spindle rotation. Controlling cell division plane orientation is essential for morphogenesis in multicellular organisms. In plant cells, the future cortical division plane is marked before mitotic entry by the preprophase band (PPB). Here, we characterized an Arabidopsis trm (TON1 Recruiting Motif) mutant that impairs PPB formation but does not affect interphase microtubules. Unexpectedly, PPB disruption neither abolished the capacity of root cells to define a cortical division zone nor induced aberrant cell division patterns but rather caused a loss of precision in cell division orientation. Our results advocate for a reassessment of PPB function and division plane determination in plants and show that a main output of this microtubule array is to limit spindle rotations in order to increase the robustness of cell division.

The kinesin AtPSS1 promotes synapsis and is required for proper crossover distribution in meiosis.

Meiotic crossovers (COs) shape genetic diversity by mixing homologous chromosomes at each generation. CO distribution is a highly regulated process. CO assurance forces the occurrence of at least one obligatory CO per chromosome pair, CO homeostasis smoothes out the number of COs when faced with variation in precursor number and CO interference keeps multiple COs away from each other along a chromosome. In several organisms, it has been shown that cytoskeleton forces are transduced to the meiotic nucleus via KASH- and SUN-domain proteins, to promote chromosome synapsis and recombination. Here we show that the Arabidopsis kinesin AtPSS1 plays a major role in chromosome synapsis and regulation of CO distribution. In Atpss1 meiotic cells, chromosome axes and DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) appear to form normally but only a variable portion of the genome synapses and is competent for CO formation. Some chromosomes fail to form the obligatory CO, while there is an increased CO density in competent regions. However, the total number of COs per cell is unaffected. We further show that the kinesin motor domain of AtPSS1 is required for its meiotic function, and that AtPSS1 interacts directly with WIP1 and WIP2, two KASH-domain proteins. Finally, meiocytes missing AtPSS1 and/or SUN proteins show similar meiotic defects suggesting that AtPSS1 and SUNs act in the same pathway. This suggests that forces produced by the AtPSS1 kinesin and transduced by WIPs/SUNs, are required to authorize complete synapsis and regulate maturation of recombination intermediates into COs. We suggest that a form of homeostasis applies, which maintains the total number of COs per cell even if only a part of the genome is competent for CO formation.

Mutations in Three Distinct Loci Cause Resistance to Peptide Deformylase Inhibitors in Bacillus subtilis

ABSTRACT Bacillus subtilis mutants with resistance against peptide deformylase inhibitors were isolated. All showed a bypass of the pathway through mutations in three genes required for formylation of Met-tRNAfMet, fmt, folD, and glyA. glyA corresponds to a yet uncharacterized locus inducing resistance. The bypass of formylation caused robust fitness reduction but was not accompanied by alterations of the transcription profile. A subtle adaptation of the enzymes of the intermediary metabolism was observed.

The Preprophase Band and Division Site Determination in Land Plants

In land plants, division plane is determined pre-mitotically, during the transition from G2 to M phase. A conspicuous spatial landmark of division plane determination is a narrow cortical band of microtubules, the preprophase band (PPB), a transient, premitotic array which precisely predicts the cortical region reached by the growing cell plate during cytokinesis. However, cells preparing for division exhibit a number of other cytological features contributing to division site establishment, such as nuclear migration, cytoplasmic modifications, and intra-cytoplasmic cytoskeleton reorganization. The spatial control of division plane is tightly linked to the temporal control of cell division by the cell cycle machinery. In this chapter, we review and discuss recently discovered cellular events and molecular partners potentially involved in division plane establishment and PPB function in land plants.