Cyclins D, phytoregulators and cell cycle onset in germinating maize

Abstract

Several different D-type cyclins can be found in plants and in maize, four of these have been characterized: CycD2;1, CycD4;1, CycD5;1 and CycD5;2. These cyclins appear to form complexes with Cdks, with PCNA and also with KRP proteins and in these kinase activity can be measured. The expression of the corresponding genes during maize germination is highly stimulated by phytohormones like auxin and cytokinin, however this is not followed by an equivalent increase in the amount of the corresponding proteins; nonetheless, auxins do stimulate the associated kinase activity, particularly at early germination times. Thus, auxins appear to stimulate the cell cycle during germination at two levels, transcription and kinase activation. Both auxins and cytokinins appear to shorten the G1 phase during germination and stimulate DNA synthesis, but apparently they do it in different ways as the simultaneous addition of both to germinating maize axes eliminates DNA synthesis stimulation. Therefore, similar actions may be achieved by different paths.