MAP kinase signaling during M phase progression

Abstract

NPK1 (nucleus- and phragmoplast-localized protein kinase 1) from tobacco was the first isolated mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK) from plants. In tobacco, the NPK1 gene is transcribed in meristematic tissues or immature organs, and, at a cellular level, the protein is expressed from S to M phase and decreases thereafter. We have recently revealed the involvement of a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade including NPK1 in mitosis. This is related, at least in part, to its control of microtubule turnover. In this review, we summarize the results of recent investigations on the mechanism of plant cytokinesis, focusing on the role of the MAPK cascade. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.