Cellular Division and TANGLED in Maize

Cell division, expansion and differentiation are particularly important for the growth of plants because their cells do not migrate. This study compared the division timing of a mutant with defects in cell division to a normal plant. The mutant with cell division defects is referred to as 'tangled'. Maize plants that have the tangled phenotype progress through mitosis more slowly than wild-type plants as assessed using time-lapse imaging of cell division. This delay can especially be seen during the metaphase stage of cellular division. In addition, tangled mutant cells may have more defects in completing division compared to wild-type plants. This research demonstrates that tangled mutant cells have defects at multiple stages of cell division resulting in slow division.