About the Cover
Plant cell shape is determined by complex interactions among many factors that combine to influence the orientation of the cortical microtubule array. This array directs the pattern of cellulose microfibril deposition, which, in turn, constrains cell growth and morphogenesis. Although a variety of techniques have been devised to study the arrangement and dynamics of microtubules, a number of important questions remain open. On pages 1927-1939 of this issue, Marc et al. present an informative approach that is based on the expression of a GFPMAP4 microtubule binding domain fusion protein. As shown on the cover, this fusion protein binds to and fluorescently labels microtubules (in green) in living tobacco BY-2 cells that are stably expressing the corresponding gene. Unlike previous approaches, microtubule dynamics in these cells can be observed over long periods of time, significantly refining efforts to understand the behavior of the cortical microtubule array during plant cell growth and development.
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Copyright © 2007 by the American Society of Plant Biologists
