Abstract
Pattern formation in plants has to cope with ambient variability and therefore must integrate environmental cues such as light. Synchrony of cell divisions was previously observed in cell files of tobacco suspension cultures, which represents a simple case of pattern formation.
Light-responsive tobacco cell lines were screened from the cell line Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Virginia Bright Italia 0.
The light responsive and auxin-autonomous cell line VBI-3 was isolated. The synchrony of cell division can be inhibited by NPA, an auxin transport inhibitor, and this process was accompanied by the disassembly of actin filaments.
However, the synchrony could be rescued when the cells were cultured under white light or with exogenous IAA. The rescue was most efficient for continuous far-red light followed by continuous blue light, whereas continuous red light was least effective.
These findings are discussed in the context of phytochrome-induced auxin biosynthesis and auxin-dependent synchrony of cell division.