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Cytochalasin D does not inhibit gravitropism in roots
Author(s) -
Staves Mark P.,
Wayne Randy,
Leopold A. Carl
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.2307/2446614
Subject(s) - amyloplast , gravitropism , cytochalasin d , microfilament , biology , cytochalasin , actin , actin cytoskeleton , plastid , cytoskeleton , botany , biophysics , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , chloroplast , arabidopsis , gene , mutant , cell
It is generally thought that sedimenting plastids are responsible for gravity sensing in higher plants. We directly tested the model generated by the current statolith hypothesis that the gravity sensing that leads to gravitropism results from an interaction between the plastids and actin microfilaments. We find that the primary roots of rice, corn, and cress undergo normal gravitropism and growth even when exposed to cytochalasin D, a disruptor of actin microfilaments. These results indicate that an interaction between amyloplasts and the actin cytoskeleton is not critical for gravity sensing in higher plants and weaken the current statolith hypothesis.