Date of Signature

Plant cells use the microtubule cytoskeleton to create axes of cellular expansion and division via the formation of a variety of microtubule arrays, including the interphase cortical array, pre-prophase band, phragmoplast, and spindle apparatus. The formation of these arrays is influenced by the biochemical and structural properties of microtubules; comprised mainly of α-and β-tubulin heterodimers, microtubules undergo stages of rapid shortening and slow elongation. This innate dynamic character, termed dynamic instability, allows microtubules to rapidly appear, disappear, and linger for various periods of time. A group of auxiliary proteins, termed microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs), regulate microtubule dynamicity and organization. MAPs can be divided into two classes – structural MAPs and mechanochemical MAPs. Structural MAPs play a role in microtubule morphology and assembly by affecting dynamic instability, while mechanochemical MAPs move along the microtubule and are required for intracellular transport and microtubule organization. The work presented here has provided evidence that a MAP/microtubule interaction i