Biology subjects

Lindeboom, J. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Lindeboom, J. J..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

The Lateral Protein Cluster as a Key Component of Plant Cell Polarity

Cell polarity is an ancient organizing principle across kingdoms. As in animal epithelial cells, plant cells asymmetrically distribute proteins to establish functionally distinct membrane domains. In roots, radial polarity distinguishes inner and outer cell surfaces and supports directional nutrient transport, yet its molecular basis remains poorly understood. Here, we show that the leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases CaMRLK and IRK occupy complementary lateral plasma membrane domains in Arabidopsis thaliana roots. Polarity-guided proximity labeling identified previously uncharacterized proteins associated with inner- and outer-lateral domains. Clade VII LRR-RLKs, protein S-acyltransferases, SICK, IRKI1, and a distinct group of NPH3/RPT2-LIKEs assemble into the Lateral Protein Cluster (LPC) through multivalent interactions. LPC components are conserved across land plants, and disruption of NRL function impairs morphogenesis in Arabidopsis and Marchantia polymorpha. Together, these findings establish the LPC as an evolutionarily conserved molecular machinery linking radial cell polarity to plant morphogenesis.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Near-infrared imaging of phytochrome-derived autofluorescence in plant nuclei

Capturing images of the nuclear dynamics within live cells is an essential technique for comprehending the intricate biological processes inherent to plant cell nuclei. While various methods exist for imaging nuclei, including combining fluorescent proteins and dyes with microscopy, there is a dearth of commercially available dyes for live-cell imaging. In Arabidopsis thaliana, we discovered that nuclei emit autofluorescence in the near-infrared (NIR) range of the spectrum and devised a non-invasive technique for the visualization of live cell nuclei using this inherent NIR autofluorescence. Our studies demonstrated the capability of the NIR imaging technique to visualize the dynamic behavior of nuclei within primary roots, root hairs, and pollen tubes, which are tissues that harbor a limited number of other organelles displaying autofluorescence. We further demonstrated the applicability of NIR autofluorescence imaging in various other tissues by incorporating fluorescence lifetime imaging techniques. Nuclear autofluorescence was also detected across a wide range of plant species, enabling analyses without the need for transformation. The nuclear autofluorescence in the NIR wavelength range was not observed in animal or yeast cells. Genetic analysis revealed that this autofluorescence was caused by the phytochrome protein. Our studies demonstrated that nuclear autofluorescence imaging can be effectively employed not only in model plants but also for studying nuclei in non-model plant species.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2017

CLASP stabilizes microtubule plus ends after severing to facilitate light-induced microtubule reorientation

Central to building and reorganizing cytoskeletal arrays is the creation of new polymers. While nucleation has been the major focus of study for new microtubule generation, severing has been proposed as an alternative mechanism to create new polymers, a mechanism recently shown to drive the reorientation of cortical arrays of higher plants in response to blue light perception. As severing produces new plus ends behind the stabilizing GTP-cap, an important and unanswered question is how these are stabilized in vivo to promote net microtubule generation. Here we identify the conserved protein CLASP as a potent stabilizer of new plus ends created by katanin severing and find that CLASP is required for rapid cortical array reorientation. In clasp mutants both rescue of shrinking plus ends and the regrowth of plus ends immediately after severing are reduced, computational modeling reveals that it is the specific stabilization of severed ends that explains CLASPs function in promoting microtubule amplification by severing and cortical array reorientation.

cell biology↗