Computer simulation and mathematical models of the noncentrosomal plant cortical microtubule cytoskeleton

Abstract

There is rising interest in modeling the noncentrosomal cortical microtubule cytoskeleton of plant cells, particularly its organization into ordered arrays and the mechanisms that facilitate this organization. In this review, we discuss quantitative models of this highly complex and dynamic structure both at a cellular and molecular level. We report differences in methodologies and assumptions of different models as well as their controversial results. Our review provides insights for future studies to resolve these controversies, in addition to underlining the common results between various models. We also highlight the need to compare the results from simulation and mathematical models with quantitative data from biological experiments in order to test the validity of the models and to further improve them. It is our hope that this review will serve to provide guidelines for how to combine quantitative and experimental techniques to develop higher-level models of the plant cytoskeleton in the future. V C 2012Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Biotechnological aspects of cytoskeletal regulation in plants

“…Interphase cells exhibit well organized cortical microtubule arrays exhibiting hybrid treadmilling and dynamic instability (Eren et al, 2012;Paredez et al, 2006a;Shaw et al, 2003). Cortical microtubule arrays are largely responsible for cell elongation and cytomorphogenesis organizing the directional cellulose biosynthesis in the overlying cell wall (Figs.…”

Microtubules in Plants

“…Spontaneous ordering of MTs to the transverse array is typically seen in elongating single cells derived from isolated tobacco protoplasts (Hasezawa et al, 1988). Several computer simulations and mathematical models, which incorporate collision behaviors, MT nucleation, and cell geometry, have been proposed to explain the self-organization properties of the cortical array (Eren et al, 2012;Deinum and Mulder, 2013).…”

“…A feedback loop has been proposed in which the geometrical shape of a tissue generates stress patterns that align cortical MTs, which dictate the direction of cell growth and assist in shaping the meristem (Hamant et al, 2008). Computer simulations predict that if two opposing cell faces of newly formed cross walls are prone to induce more frequent MT depolymerization than do other cell faces, such facedependent MT depolymerization is sufficient to form MT arrays with a net transverse orientation (Eren et al, 2012). The newly formed cross walls of cells that have just undergone cytokinesis have sharp transverse edges that induce MT depolymerization or buckling, thus acting as barriers to trespassing MTs, whereas the longitudinal edges of cross walls that formed earlier are more rounded and enriched with a MT stabilizing factor, thus allowing passage of in-coming MTs (Ambrose et al, 2011).…”

What can plants do for cell biology?

“…Plants are an excellent system in which to study noncentrosomal microtubule arrays (Ehrhardt, 2008; Eren et al. , 2012).…”

“…For example, in cells that are differentiating into vascular elements, microtubules form superbundles in areas of wall thickening (Ehrhardt, 2008). The ease of imaging microtubules in live plant cells and the wealth of genetic tools in both vascular and nonvascular plants has opened the door for a mechanistic understanding of how these arrays are generated and maintained (Ehrhardt, 2008; Eren et al. , 2012).…”