Control of Plant Cell Growth and Proliferation by MO25A, a Conserved Major Component of the Mammalian Sterile 20-Like Kinase Pathway

The precise control of cell growth and proliferation underpins the development of plants and animals. These factors affect the development and size of organs and the body. In plants, the growth and proliferation of cells are regulated by environmental stimuli and intrinsic signaling, allowing different cell types to have specific growth and proliferation characteristics. An increasing number of factors that control cell division and growth have been identified. However, the mechanisms underlying cell type-specific cell growth and proliferation characteristics in the normal developmental context are poorly understood. Here, we analyzed the rice mutant osmo25a1, which is defective in the progression of embryogenesis. The osmo25a1 mutant embryo developed incomplete embryonic organs, such as the shoot and root apical meristems. It showed a delayed progression of embryogenesis, associated with the reduced mitotic activity. The causal gene of this mutation encodes a member of the Mouse protein-25A (MO25A) family of proteins that have pivotal functions in a signaling pathway that governs cell proliferation and polarity in animals, yeasts and filamentous fungi. To elucidate the function of plant MO25A at the cellular level, we performed a functional analysis of MO25A in the moss Physcomitrium patens. Physcomitrium patens MO25A was uniformly distributed in the cytoplasm and functioned in cell tip growth and the initiation of cell division in stem cells. Overall, we demonstrated that MO25A proteins are conserved factors that control cell proliferation and growth.