Manipulation of cellular properties
To dissect the contribution of specific cell layers during spatial accommodation, one cell layer at a time, we employ cell type specific promoters to manipulate cellular properties with high spatial resolution. A good example is the use of the atypical tubulin kinase PROPYZAMIDE-HYPERSENSITIVE 1 (PHS1) to specifically depolymerize microtubels in the xylem pole pericycle cells of Arabisopsis during lateral root formation (Fujita, et al., 2013, PMID: 24120637; Vilches Barro et al., 2019, PMID: 31327713). In the same study, we also showed that the DeAct system (Harterink et al., 2017, PMID: 28394337 ) also works in plants and can be used to depolymerize actin in a cell type specific manner (Vilches Barro et al., 2019, PMID: 31327713). The use of these tool allowed us to probe the individual contributions of the microtubule and actin cytoskeleton during the establsihment and execution of formative divisions during lateral root formation.
Use this principle, we also aim at manipulating cell wall properties, cell volume and membrane traffiking with high specificity.
Schematic representation of the patterns and roles of CMTs and F-Actin in lateral root formation. Figure from Vilches Barro et al., 2019, PMID: 31327713.