Optimized Methods for the Isolation of Arabidopsis Female Central Cells and Their Nuclei.

The Arabidopsis female gametophyte contains seven cells with eight haploid nuclei buried within layers of sporophytic tissue. Following double fertilization, the egg and central cells of the gametophyte develop into the embryo and endosperm of the seed, respectively. The epigenetic status of the central cell has long presented an enigma due both to its inaccessibility, and the fascinating epigenome of the endosperm, thought to have been inherited from the central cell following activity of the DEMETER demethylase enzyme, prior to fertilization. Here, we present for the first time, a method to isolate pure populations of Arabidopsis central cell nuclei. Utilizing a protocol designed to isolate leaf mesophyll protoplasts, we systematically optimized each step in order to efficiently separate central cells from the female gametophyte. We use initial manual pistil dissection followed by the derivation of central cell protoplasts, during which process the central cell emerges from the micropylar pole of the embryo sac. Then, we use a modified version of the Isolation of Nuclei TAgged in specific Cell Types (INTACT) protocol to purify central cell nuclei, resulting in a purity of 75-90% and a yield sufficient to undertake downstream molecular analyses. We find that the process is highly dependent on the health of the original plant tissue used, and the efficiency of protoplasting solution infiltration into the gametophyte. By isolating pure central cell populations, we have enabled elucidation of the physiology of this rare cell type, which in the future will provide novel insights into Arabidopsis reproduction.

The P6 protein of Cauliflower mosaic virus interacts with CHUP1, a plant protein which moves chloroplasts on actin microfilaments.

The gene VI product, protein 6 (P6), of Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) assembles into large, amorphous inclusion bodies (IBs) that are considered sites for viral protein synthesis and viral genome replication and encapsidation. P6 IBs align with microfilaments and require them for intracellular trafficking, a result implying that P6 IBs function to move virus complexes or virions within the cell to support virus physiology. Through a yeast two-hybrid screen we determined that CHUP1, a plant protein allowing chloroplast transport through an interaction with chloroplast and microfilament, interacts with P6. The interaction between CHUP1 and P6 was confirmed through colocalization in vivo and co-immunoprecipitation assays. A truncated CHUP1 fused with enhanced cyan fluorescent protein, unable to transport chloroplasts, inhibited intracellular movement of P6-Venus inclusions. Silencing of CHUP1 in N. edwardsonii impaired the ability of CaMV to infect plants. The findings suggest that CHUP1 supports CaMV infection through an interaction with P6.