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Phototropism pp 215–221Cite as

How to Investigate the Role of the Actin-Myosin Cytoskeleton in Organ Straightening

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Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1924))

Abstract

Although plant organ segments bend in response to environmental stimuli such as gravity and light, they stop bending and subsequently straighten during the course of tropic responses. The straightening phenomenon can clearly be observed by setting the bent organs under microgravity and dark conditions. It has recently become clear that the straightening mechanism requires the activity of the actin-myosin XI cytoskeleton. A clinostat device makes it possible to simulate microgravity conditions by counteracting the Earth’s unilateral gravitational pull. Here, we describe a method for assessing the straightening ability of organs by clinostat analysis using Arabidopsis thaliana inflorescence stems of actin and myosin xi mutants as examples.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research to I.H-N. (no. 15H05776) and to H.U. (nos. 15KT0151 and 16K07397) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

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Correspondence to Ikuko Hara-Nishimura .

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Ueda, H., Hara-Nishimura, I. (2019). How to Investigate the Role of the Actin-Myosin Cytoskeleton in Organ Straightening. In: Yamamoto, K. (eds) Phototropism. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1924. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9015-3_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9015-3_18

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-9014-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-9015-3

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