Research Arabidopsis MAP65-4 plays a role in phragmoplast microtubule organization and marks the cortical cell division site Haoge Li1,2*, Baojuan Sun2,3*, Michiko Sasabe4, Xingguang Deng2,5, Yasunori Machida6, Honghui Lin5, Y-R. Julie Lee2 and Bo Liu2 1College of Biological Science and Technology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110866, China; 2Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; 3Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, China; 4Department of Biology, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Hirosaki 036-8561, Japan; 5Key Laboratory of Bio-resources & Eco-environment, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China; 6Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku Nagoya 464-8602, Japan Summary Author for correspondence: The evolutionarily conserved MAP65 family proteins bundle anti-parallel microtubules Bo Liu (MTs). In Arabidopsis thaliana, mutations in the MAP65-3 gene lead to serious defects in MT Tel: +1 530 754 8138 organization in the phragmoplast and cause failures in cytokinesis. However, the functions of Email:
[email protected] other Arabidopsis MAP65 isoforms are largely unknown. Received: 31 October 2016 MAP65 functions were analyzed based on genetic interactions among different map65 Accepted: 19 February 2017 mutations. Live-cell imaging and immunolocalization experiments revealed dynamic activities of two closely related MAP65 proteins in dividing cells. New Phytologist (2017) 215: 187–201 The map65-4 mutation caused synthetic lethality with map65-3 although map65-4 alone doi: 10.1111/nph.14532 did not cause a noticeable phenotype. Furthermore, the introduction of an extra copy of the MAP65-4 gene significantly suppressed defects in cytokinesis and seedling growth caused by Key words: Arabidopsis thaliana, cell divi- map65-3 because of restoring MT engagement in the spindle midzone.