The components of the cellular machinery that accomplish the various complex and dynamic membrane fusion events that occur at the division plane during plant cytokinesis, including assembly of the cell plate, are not fully understood. The most well-characterized component, KNOLLE, a cell plate-specific soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein (NSF)-attachment protein receptor (SNARE), is a membrane fusion machine component required for plant cytokinesis. Here, we show the plant ortholog of Cdc48p/p97, AtCDC48, colocalizes at the division plane in dividing Arabidopsis cells with KNOLLE and another SNARE, the plant ortholog of syntaxin 5, SYP31. In contrast to KNOLLE, SYP31 resides in defined punctate membrane structures during interphase and is targeted during cytokinesis to the division plane. In vitro-binding studies demonstrate that AtCDC48 specifically interacts in an ATP-dependent manner with SYP31 but not with KNOLLE. In contrast, we show that KNOLLE assembles in vitro into a large approximately 20S complex in an Sec18p/NSF-dependent manner. These results suggest that there are at least two distinct membrane fusion pathways involving Cdc48p/p97 and Sec18p/NSF that operate at the division plane to mediate plant cytokinesis. Models for the role of AtCDC48 and SYP31 at the division plane will be discussed.Plant cell division is completed by the highly dynamic process of de novo cell plate construction leading to the separation of two daughter cells. Formation of this unique cytokinetic organelle involves at least three key membrane fusion steps: (a) fusion of secretory vesicles across the division plane to form a membranous tubular-vesicular network, (b) consolidation of the tubular-vesicular network, and (c) fusion of the cell plate leading-edge with the original parental plasma membrane to complete division (Samuels et al., 1995). These distinct stages of cell plate biogenesis likely involve both heterotypic and homotypic membrane fusion events. In addition to the cell plate, the division plane contains an extensive endoplasmic reticulum (ER) network that has been suggested to function in the formation of the cell plate (Hepler, 1982). Assembly of cell plateassociated ER is likely to involve homotypic fusion of ER membrane within the division plane.Two homologous classes of ATPases associated with various cellular activities (AAA) proteins (Frö hlich, 2001), Sec18p N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein (NSF) and Cdc48p/p97 (p97 is also known as VCP), regulate a variety of secretory membrane fusion processes (Acharya et al., 1995;Latterich et al., 1995;Rabouille et al., 1995). Monomers of Sec18p/NSF and Cdc48p/p97 consist of two Mg 2ϩ -dependent ATPase domains and an N-terminal substrate/adapter domain that assemble into biologically active ring-shaped oligohexamers (Peters et al., 1990; Hanson et al., 1997). Of these two AAA complexes, the biochemical function of Sec18p/NSF, which along with its cofactor, soluble NSF-attachment protein (␣-SNAP) regulates hetero-and homotypic membrane fusion, has...