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2010 - 11 - 24 Publication and Cover in “The Plant Cell”
Recent work of the Plant Molecular Biology Unit of CRP-Santé has been published in Plant Cell, the highest impact factor journal for plant biology (IF 9.293). In addition, the work has been selected for The Plant Cell cover (September issue). In this paper, authors address the role of an evolutionary-conserved LIM domain-containing protein family in the regulation of actin cytoskeleton organization and dynamics. Evidence is provided that the six Arabidopsis two LIM domain-containing proteins crosslink actin filaments into thick and stable bundles. This work was supported by the Ministry of Culture, Higher Education and Research, and by the National Research Fund.
The LIM structures are assumed to be involved in a wide range of cellular processes, ranging from myosin-dependent transport to cell contraction and division. Particular attention is paid on the regulation of LIM protein activity by cellular factors such as pH and calcium. It is worthy noting that point mutations in a human related protein, namely the muscle LIM protein (MLP), have been previously associated with dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathies. The confocal microscopy image that has been selected for The Plant Cell cover shows a cortical section of primary root cells of transgenic Arabidopsis plants over-expressing the WLIM1 protein fused to a fluorescent reporter. It illustrates that LIM proteins promote the formation of highly bundled actin networks.
Papuga, J., Hoffmann, C., Dieterle, M., Moes, D., Moreau, F., Tholl, S., Steinmetz, A., and Thomas, C. Arabidopsis LIM Proteins: A Family of Actin Bundlers with Distinct Expression Patterns and Modes of Regulation. Plant Cell. (2010) 22: 3034-3052