Book Description
This work is aimed at defining the role of calcium/calmodulin in regulating cortical microtubules (MTS) in higher plants. Recent thrust has been to define the effects of calcium upon microtubules in vivo. Using lysed protoplasts, we noted Mts are destabilized by calcium/calmodulin. This effect could be the result of gross depolymerization induced by Ca{sup ++}/calmodulin, or by an increase in the dynamic flux rate. Intact protoplasts exposed to high (10 mM) levels of calcium (which would be expected to increase intercellular calcium levels) contained microtubules that were hypersensitive to Mt inhibitors, compared to control protoplasts exposed to low calcium environments.