UC San Diego

TANGLED is a plant-specific protein that plays an important role in cell division plane orientation. So far, most of the research on TANGLED has focused on the requirements for its localization in dividing cells. However, it is still unknown how these requirements work together to promote TANGLED localization. Furthermore, the mechanisms by which TANGLED functions in cell division plane orientation are unknown. There are most likely proteins that interact with TANGLED to help TANGLED localize and function. So far, the only protein known to interact with Arabidopsis TANGLED is PHRAGMOPLAST ORIENTING KINESIN 1 (POK1). Using yeast-two-hybrid assay, I screened through a cDNA library of Arabidopsis thaliana and identified eight proteins that are new promising candidates for bona fide interaction with TANGLED. Also using yeast-two-hybrid, I found that the first 132 amino acids of TANGLED are necessary and sufficient for its interaction with three of these eight proteins. For two of the eight proteins, localization experiments involving fusion with yellow fluorescent protein revealed that they localize to the cell plate in dividing Arabidopsis thaliana cells