Abstract
Asymmetric cell division is of fundamental importance in generation of diverse cell types. Its molecular mechanism, however, remains unknown in plants. Regeneration of protoplasts in the moss, Physcomitrella patens assures a good system for the study of molecular mechanisms for cell polarity or asymmetric cell division as the first cell division of the protoplasts is asymmetric. We have devised a systematic overexpression screening for genes affecting asymmetric cell division of the protoplasts.
We transiently overexpressed >3,400 of full-length cDNAs, and identified 58 cDNAs, whose overexpression caused abnormal asymmetric cell division such as symmetric cell division, isotropic outgrowth with no cell division or curved cells showing incorrect direction of growth, indicating that some of genes identified may have roles for cell polarity formation or asymmetric cell division of the protoplasts. Analysis of RNAi phenotypes or protein localization during the 1st asymmetric cell division is underway.
