Abstract
Actin microfilaments (MFs) are known to play important roles in plant morphogenesis and cell cycle progression. During the process of cytokinesis, MFs organize a phragmoplast-like structure, however, its role is unclear yet. To examine the function MFs in cytokinesis, we performed time-sequential observations of MFs or MTs and the cell plate dynamics visualized with transgenic cell lines of tobacco BY-GF11 or BY-GT16, respectively, in addition to a staining with a styryl dye, FM4-64. As a result we observed that the MF phragmoplast-like structure appeared later than that of MT and located farther from the cell plate than the MTs. When the MFs were broken by an actin polymerization inhibitor, bistheonellide A, cell plate oscillation was suppressed and it took more time to fuse the cell wall. These results suggested that MFs were involved in the cell plate development.
