PATTERNS OF CELL-DIVISION REVEALED BY TRANSCRIPTIONAL REGULATION OF GENES DURING THE CELL-CYCLE IN PLANTS

Citation
Pr. Fobert et al., PATTERNS OF CELL-DIVISION REVEALED BY TRANSCRIPTIONAL REGULATION OF GENES DURING THE CELL-CYCLE IN PLANTS, EMBO journal, 13(3), 1994, pp. 616-624
Citations number
42
Categorie Soggetti
Biology
Journal title
ISSN journal
02614189
Volume
13
Issue
3
Year of publication
1994
Pages
616 - 624
Database
ISI
SICI code
0261-4189(1994)13:3<616:POCRBT>2.0.ZU;2-D
Abstract
Transcripts from five cell cycle related genes accumulate in isolated cells dispersed throughout the actively dividing regions of plant meri stems. We propose that this pattern reflects gene expression during pa rticular phases of the cell division cycle. The high proportion of iso lated cells suggests that synchrony between daughter cells is rapidly lost following mitosis. This is the first time that such a cell specif ic expression pattern has been described in a higher organism. Counter staining with a DNA specific dye revealed that transcripts from three genes (two mitotic cyclins and a cdc2-like gene) accumulate during par t of interphase and early mitosis whereas transcripts from a histone H 4 gene are preferentially detected only in interphase cells. Double la belling for cyclin and histone H4 transcripts confirms that these gene s are expressed in different cells, and therefore at different phases of the cell cycle. The results suggest that transcriptional regulation of cell cycle related genes may be important in controlling cell divi sion in plants, and that these genes are useful markers for identifyin g cells at specific phases of the cell cycle within plant meristems.