Cell production and differentiation for the acquisition of specific functions are key features of living systems. The dynamic network of cellular microtubules provides the necessary platform to accommodate processes associated with the transition of cells through the individual phases of cytogenesis. Here, we show that the plant hormone cytokinin fine‐tunes the activity of the microtubular cytoskeleton during cell differentiation and counteracts microtubular rearrangements driven by the hormone auxin. The endogenous upward gradient of cytokinin activity along the longitudinal growth axis in Arabidopsis thaliana roots correlates with robust rearrangements of the microtubule cytoskeleton in epidermal cells progressing from the proliferative to the differentiation stage. Controlled increases in cytokinin activity result in premature re‐organization of the microtubule network from transversal to an oblique disposition in cells prior to their differentiation, whereas attenuated hormone perception delays cytoskeleton conversion into a configuration typical for differentiated cells. Intriguingly, cytokinin can interfere with microtubules also in animal cells, such as leukocytes, suggesting that a cytokinin‐sensitive control pathway for the microtubular cytoskeleton may be at least partially conserved between plant and animal cells.

中文翻译：

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植物激素细胞分裂素在细胞从增生到分化阶段的过程中指导微管动力学。

细胞生产和获得特定功能的分化是生命系统的关键特征。细胞微管的动态网络提供了必要的平台，以适应与细胞通过细胞发生的各个阶段的过渡相关的过程。在这里，我们表明植物激素细胞分裂素在细胞分化过程中微调了微管细胞骨架的活性，并抵消了由激素生长素驱动的微管重排。拟南芥中沿纵向生长轴的细胞分裂素活性的内源性向上梯度根与表皮细胞中从增殖期到分化期的微管细胞骨架的强大重排有关。细胞分裂素活性的受控增加导致微管网络在分化之前从横向过早转变为斜向排列，而激素的减弱会延迟细胞骨架转化为分化细胞的典型构型。有趣的是，细胞分裂素还可以干扰动物细胞（例如白细胞）中的微管，这表明在植物和动物细胞之间，微管细胞骨架的细胞分裂素敏感控制途径可能至少是保守的。