Distribution of fucose-containing xyloglucans in cell walls of the mur1 mutant of Arabidopsis

Comparison of the Formation of Plant-Microbial Interface in Pisum sativum L. and Medicago truncatula Gaertn. Nitrogen-Fixing Nodules

Different components of the symbiotic interface play an important role in providing positional information during rhizobial infection and nodule development: successive changes in cell morphology correspond to subsequent changes in the molecular architecture of the apoplast and the associated surface structures. The localisation and distribution of pectins, xyloglucans, and cell wall proteins in symbiotic nodules of Pisum sativum and Medicago truncatula were studied using immunofluorescence and immunogold analysis in wild-type and ineffective mutant nodules. As a result, the ontogenetic changes in the symbiotic interface in the nodules of both species were described. Some differences in the patterns of distribution of cell wall polysaccharides and proteins between wild-type and mutant nodules can be explained by the activation of defence reaction or premature senescence in mutants. The absence of fucosylated xyloglucan in the cell walls in the P. sativum nodules, as well as its predominant accumulation in the cell walls of uninfected cells in the M. truncatula nodules, and the presence of the rhamnogalacturonan I (unbranched) backbone in meristematic cells in P. sativum can be attributed to the most striking species-specific features of the symbiotic interface.

Structural variation and spatial polysaccharide profiling of intervessel pit membranes in grapevine

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Intervessel pit membranes (PMs) are important cell wall structures in the vessel system that may impact a plant's water transport and its susceptibility to vascular diseases. Functional roles of intervessel PMs largely depend on their structure and polysaccharide composition, which are the targets of this study.

METHODS

With grapevine used as a model plant, this study applied an immunogold-scanning electron microscopy technique to simultaneously analyse at high resolution intervessel PM structures and major pectic and hemicellulosic polysaccharides that make up intervessel PMs.

KEY RESULTS

Intervessel PMs in functional xylem showed significant structural variation, with about 90 % of them being structurally intact with smooth or relatively smooth surfaces and the remaining 10 % with progressively degraded structures. The results also elucidated details of the removal process of cell wall materials from the intervessel PM surface toward its depth during its natural degradation. Four groups of pectic and hemicellulosic polysaccharides were immunolocalized in intervessel PMs and differed in their spatial distribution and abundance. Weakly methyl-esterified homogalacturonans (WMe-HGs, detected by JIM5) were abundant in the surface layer, heavily methyl-esterified homogalacturonans (HMe-HGs, detected by JIM7) and xylans detected by CCRC-M140 were mostly found in deeper layers, and fucosylated xyloglucans (F-XyGs, detected by CCRC-M1) were more uniformly distributed at different depths of the intervessel PM.

CONCLUSIONS

Intervessel PMs displayed diverse structural variations in grapevine. They contained certain major groups of pectic and hemicellulosic polysaccharides with different spatial distributions and abundance. This information is crucial to reveal the polysaccharide profiling of the primary cell wall and to understand the roles of intervessel PMs in the regulation of water transport as well as in a plant's susceptibility to vascular diseases.

Multi-omics analysis of the regulatory effects of low-phosphorus stress on phosphorus transport in soybean roots

The regulatory effects of uneven phosphorus supplies on phosphorus transport in soybean roots are still unclear. To further analyze the regulatory effects of low-phosphorus stress on phosphorus transport in soybean roots and the effects of uneven phosphorus application on the physiological mechanism of phosphorus transport in soybean roots, dual-root soybean plants were prepared via grafting, and a sand culture experiment was performed. From the unfolded cotyledon stage to the initial flowering stage, one side of each dual-root soybean system was irrigated with a low-phosphorus-concentration solution (phosphorus-application [P+] side), and the other side was irrigated with a phosphorus-free nutrient solution (phosphorus-free [P-] side); this setup allowed the study of the effects of different phosphorus supply levels on the expression of genes and proteins and the accumulation of metabolites in soybean roots on the P- side to clarify the method through which phosphorus transport is regulated in soybean roots and to provide a theoretical basis for improving the use rate of phosphorus fertilizer. The results revealed that the unilateral supply of low-concentration phosphorus promoted the uptake of phosphorus by soybean roots and the transport of phosphorus from the P+ side to the P- side. Compared with the normal concentration of phosphorus supply and the phosphorus-free supply, the low concentration phosphorus supply affected the regulation of the metabolic pathways involved in starch and sucrose metabolism, glycolysis, fructose, and mannose metabolism, etc., thereby affecting soybean root phosphorus transport. The low-phosphorus stress inhibited fructose synthesis and sucrose synthase synthesis in the soybean roots and the synthesis of hexokinase (HK) and fructose kinase, which catalyzes the conversion of fructose to fructose-6-phosphate. Low-phosphorus stress promoted the synthesis of sucrose invertase and the conversion of sucrose into maltose by the activity of starch synthase (StS) and stimulated the synthesis of UDPG pyrophosphorylase (UGP) and phosphoglucose isomerase (GP1), which is involved in the conversion of UDP-glucose to glucose-6-phosphate. The phosphorus transport pathway of soybean roots was then affected, which promoted phosphorus allocation to UTP and glucose-6-phosphate. Additionally, low-phosphorus stress hastened glycolysis in the soybean roots and inhibited the synthesis of malic acid, thereby promoting the transport of phosphorus in the roots. In addition, low-phosphorus stress inhibited the synthesis of fructose, mannose, and mannose-1-phosphate and the synthesis of other enzymes involved in phosphorus transport as well as invertase, thereby inhibiting the transport and synthesis of several organic phosphorus-containing compounds.

Building an extensible cell wall

This article recounts, from my perspective of four decades in this field, evolving paradigms of primary cell wall structure and the mechanism of surface enlargement of growing cell walls. Updates of the structures, physical interactions, and roles of cellulose, xyloglucan, and pectins are presented. This leads to an example of how a conceptual depiction of wall structure can be translated into an explicit quantitative model based on molecular dynamics methods. Comparison of the model's mechanical behavior with experimental results provides insights into the molecular basis of complex mechanical behaviors of primary cell wall and uncovers the dominant role of cellulose-cellulose interactions in forming a strong yet extensible network.

High-resolution 3D mapping of rhizosphere glycan patterning using molecular probes in a transparent soil system

Rhizospheres are microecological zones at the interface of roots and soils. Interactions between bacteria and roots are critical for maintaining plant and soil health but are difficult to study because of constraints inherent in working with underground systems. We have developed an in-situ rhizosphere imaging system based on transparent soils and molecular probes that can be imaged using confocal microscopy. We observed spatial patterning of polysaccharides along roots and on cells deposited into the rhizosphere and also co-localised fluorescently tagged soil bacteria. These studies provide insight into the complex glycan landscape of rhizospheres and suggest a means by which root / rhizobacteria interactions can be non-disruptively studied.

Arabinogalactan Proteins in Plant Roots - An Update on Possible Functions

Responsiveness to environmental conditions and developmental plasticity of root systems are crucial determinants of plant fitness. These processes are interconnected at a cellular level with cell wall properties and cell surface signaling, which involve arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) as essential components. AGPs are cell-wall localized glycoproteins, often GPI-anchored, which participate in root functions at many levels. They are involved in cell expansion and differentiation, regulation of root growth, interactions with other organisms, and environmental response. Due to the complexity of cell wall functional and regulatory networks, and despite the large amount of experimental data, the exact molecular mechanisms of AGP-action are still largely unknown. This dynamically evolving field of root biology is summarized in the present review.

Biosynthesis and Transport of Nucleotide Sugars for Plant Hemicellulose

Hemicellulose is entangled with cellulose through hydrogen bonds and meanwhile acts as a bridge for the deposition of lignin monomer in the secondary wall. Therefore, hemicellulose plays a vital role in the utilization of cell wall biomass. Many advances in hemicellulose research have recently been made, and a large number of genes and their functions have been identified and verified. However, due to the diversity and complexity of hemicellulose, the biosynthesis and regulatory mechanisms are yet unknown. In this review, we summarized the types of plant hemicellulose, hemicellulose-specific nucleotide sugar substrates, key transporters, and biosynthesis pathways. This review will contribute to a better understanding of substrate-level regulation of hemicellulose synthesis.

An important role of l-fucose biosynthesis and protein fucosylation genes in Arabidopsis immunity

Plants mount coordinated immune responses to defend themselves against pathogens. However, the cellular components required for plant immunity are not fully understood. The jasmonate-mimicking coronatine (COR) toxin produced by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000 functions to overcome plant immunity. We previously isolated eight Arabidopsis (scord) mutants that exhibit increased susceptibility to a COR-deficient mutant of PstDC3000. Among them, the scord6 mutant exhibits defects both in stomatal closure response and in restricting bacterial multiplication inside the apoplast. However, the identity of SCORD6 remained elusive. In this study, we aim to identify the SCORD6 gene. We identified SCORD6 via next-generation sequencing and found it to be MURUS1 (MUR1), which is involved in the biosynthesis of GDP-l-fucose. Discovery of SCORD6 as MUR1 led to a series of experiments that revealed a multi-faceted role of l-fucose biosynthesis in stomatal and apoplastic defenses as well as in pattern-triggered immunity and effector-triggered immunity, including glycosylation of pattern-recognition receptors. Furthermore, compromised stomatal and/or apoplastic defenses were observed in mutants of several fucosyltransferases with specific substrates (e.g. O-glycan, N-glycan or the DELLA transcriptional repressors). Collectively, these results uncover a novel and broad role of l-fucose and protein fucosylation in plant immunity.

Fiber Quality Improvement in Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.): Quantitative Trait Loci Mapping and Marker Assisted Selection Application

Genetic improvement in fiber quality is one of the main challenges for cotton breeders. Fiber quality traits are controlled by multiple genes and are classified as complex quantitative traits, with a negative relationship with yield potential, so the genetic gain is low in traditional genetic improvement by phenotypic selection. The availability of Gossypium genomic sequences facilitates the development of high-throughput molecular markers, quantitative trait loci (QTL) fine mapping and gene identification, which helps us to validate candidate genes and to use marker assisted selection (MAS) on fiber quality in breeding programs. Based on developments of high density linkage maps, QTLs fine mapping, marker selection and omics, we have performed trait dissection on fiber quality traits in diverse populations of upland cotton. QTL mapping combined with multi-omics approaches such as, RNA sequencing datasets to identify differentially expressed genes have benefited the improvement of fiber quality. In this review, we discuss the application of molecular markers, QTL mapping and MAS for fiber quality improvement in upland cotton.

Xyloglucan in the primary cell wall: assessment by FESEM, selective enzyme digestions and nanogold affinity tags

Xyloglucan has been hypothesized to bind extensively to cellulose microfibril surfaces and to tether microfibrils into a load-bearing network, thereby playing a central role in wall mechanics and growth, but this view is challenged by newer results. Here we combined high-resolution imaging by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) with nanogold affinity tags and selective endoglucanase treatments to assess the spatial location and conformation of xyloglucan in onion cell walls. FESEM imaging of xyloglucanase-digested cell walls revealed an altered microfibril organization but did not yield clear evidence of xyloglucan conformations. Backscattered electron detection provided excellent detection of nanogold affinity tags in the context of wall fibrillar organization. Labelling with xyloglucan-specific CBM76 conjugated with nanogold showed that xyloglucans were associated with fibril surfaces in both extended and coiled conformations, but tethered configurations were not observed. Labelling with nanogold-conjugated CBM3, which binds the hydrophobic surface of crystalline cellulose, was infrequent until the wall was predigested with xyloglucanase, whereupon microfibril labelling was extensive. When tamarind xyloglucan was allowed to bind to xyloglucan-depleted onion walls, CBM76 labelling gave positive evidence for xyloglucans in both extended and coiled conformations, yet xyloglucan chains were not directly visible by FESEM. These results indicate that an appreciable, but still small, surface of cellulose microfibrils in the onion wall is tightly bound with extended xyloglucan chains and that some of the xyloglucan has a coiled conformation.

Boron-bridged RG-II and calcium are required to maintain the pectin network of the Arabidopsis seed mucilage ultrastructure

The structure of a pectin network requires both calcium (Ca²⁺) and boron (B). Ca²⁺ is involved in crosslinking pectic polysaccharides and arbitrarily induces the formation of an "egg-box" structure among pectin molecules, while B crosslinks rhamnogalacturonan II (RG-II) side chain A apiosyl residues in primary cell walls to generate a borate-dimeric-rhamnogalacturonan II (dRG-II-B) complex through a boron-bridge bond, leading to the formation of a pectin network. Based on recent studies of dRG-II-B structures, a hypothesis has been proposed suggesting that Ca²⁺is a common component of the dRG-II-B complex. However, no in vivo evidence has addressed whether B affects the stability of Ca²⁺ crosslinks. Here, we investigated the L-fucose-deficient dwarf mutant mur1, which was previously shown to require exogenous B treatment for phenotypic reversion. Imbibed Arabidopsis thaliana seeds release hydrated polysaccharides to form a halo of seed mucilage covering the seed surface, which consists of a water-soluble outer layer and an adherent inner layer. Our study of mur1 seed mucilage has revealed that the pectin in the outer layer of mucilage was relocated to the inner layer. Nevertheless, the mur1 inner mucilage was more vulnerable to rough shaking or ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) extraction than that of the wild type. Immunolabeling analysis suggested that dRG-II-B was severely decreased in mur1 inner mucilage. Moreover, non-methylesterified homogalacturonan (HG) exhibited obvious reassembly in the mur1 inner layer compared with the wild type, which may imply a possible connection between dRG-II-B deficiency and pectin network transformation in the seed mucilage. As expected, the concentration of B in the mur1 inner mucilage was reduced, whereas the distribution and concentration of Ca²⁺in the inner mucilage increased significantly, which could be the reason why pectin relocates from the outer mucilage to the inner mucilage. Consequently, the disruption of B bridges appears to result in the extreme sensitivity of the mur1 mucilage pectin complex to EDTA extraction, despite the reinforcement of the pectin network by excessive Ca²⁺. Therefore, we propose a hypothesis that B, in the form of dRG-II-B, works together with Ca²⁺to maintain pectin network crosslinks and ultimately the mucilage ultrastructure in seed mucilage. This work may serve to complement our current understanding of mucilage configuration.

TRANSPARENT TESTA 16 and 15 act through different mechanisms to control proanthocyanidin accumulation in Arabidopsis testa

Flavonoids are secondary metabolites that fulfil a multitude of functions during the plant life cycle. In Arabidopsis proanthocyanidins (PAs) are flavonoids that specifically accumulate in the innermost integuments of the seed testa (i.e. endothelium), as well as in the chalaza and micropyle areas, and play a vital role in protecting the embryo against various biotic and abiotic stresses. PAs accumulation in the endothelium requires the activity of the MADS box transcription factor TRANSPARENT TESTA (TT) 16 (ARABIDOPSIS B-SISTER/AGAMOUS-LIKE 32) and the UDP-glycosyltransferase TT15 (UGT80B1). Interestingly tt16 and tt15 mutants display a very similar flavonoid profiles and patterns of PA accumulation. By using a combination of genetic, molecular, biochemical, and histochemical methods, we showed that both TT16 and TT15 act upstream the PA biosynthetic pathway, but through two distinct genetic routes. We also demonstrated that the activity of TT16 in regulating cell fate determination and PA accumulation in the endothelium is required in the chalaza prior to the globular stage of embryo development. Finally this study provides new insight showing that TT16 and TT15 functions extend beyond PA biosynthesis in the inner integuments of the Arabidopsis seed coat.

Immunogold scanning electron microscopy can reveal the polysaccharide architecture of xylem cell walls

Immunofluorescence microscopy (IFM) and immunogold transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are the two main techniques commonly used to detect polysaccharides in plant cell walls. Both are important in localizing cell wall polysaccharides, but both have major limitations, such as low resolution in IFM and restricted sample size for immunogold TEM. In this study, we have developed a robust technique that combines immunocytochemistry with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to study cell wall polysaccharide architecture in xylem cells at high resolution over large areas of sample. Using multiple cell wall monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), this immunogold SEM technique reliably localized groups of hemicellulosic and pectic polysaccharides in the cell walls of five different xylem structures (vessel elements, fibers, axial and ray parenchyma cells, and tyloses). This demonstrates its important advantages over the other two methods for studying cell wall polysaccharide composition and distribution in these structures. In addition, it can show the three-dimensional distribution of a polysaccharide group in the vessel lateral wall and the polysaccharide components in the cell wall of developing tyloses. This technique, therefore, should be valuable for understanding the cell wall polysaccharide composition, architecture and functions of diverse cell types.

Model of polar auxin transport coupled to mechanical forces retrieves robust morphogenesis along the Arabidopsis root

Stem cells are identical in many scales, they share the same molecular composition, DNA, genes, and genetic networks, yet they should acquire different properties to form a functional tissue. Therefore, they must interact and get some external information from their environment, either spatial (dynamical fields) or temporal (lineage). In this paper we test to what extent coupled chemical and physical fields can underlie the cell's positional information during development. We choose the root apical meristem of Arabidopsis thaliana to model the emergence of cellular patterns. We built a model to study the dynamics and interactions between the cell divisions, the local auxin concentration, and physical elastic fields. Our model recovers important aspects of the self-organized and resilient behavior of the observed cellular patterns in the Arabidopsis root, in particular, the reverse fountain pattern observed in the auxin transport, the PIN-FORMED (protein family of auxin transporters) polarization pattern and the accumulation of auxin near the region of maximum curvature in a bent root. Our model may be extended to predict altered cellular patterns that are expected under various applied auxin treatments or modified physical growth conditions.

A Comparative Study of Sample Preparation for Staining and Immunodetection of Plant Cell Walls by Light Microscopy

Staining and immunodetection by light microscopy are methods widely used to investigate plant cell walls. The two techniques have been crucial to study the cell wall architecture in planta, its deconstruction by chemicals or cell wall-degrading enzymes. They have been instrumental in detecting the presence of cell types, in deciphering plant cell wall evolution and in characterizing plant mutants and transformants. The success of immunolabeling relies on how plant materials are embedded and sectioned. Agarose coating, wax and resin embedding are, respectively, associated with vibratome, microtome and ultramicrotome sectioning. Here, we have systematically carried out a comparative analysis of these three methods of sample preparation when they are applied for cell wall staining and cell wall immunomicroscopy. In order to help the plant community in understanding and selecting adequate methods of embedding and sectioning for cell wall immunodetection, we review in this article the advantages and limitations of these three methods. Moreover, we offer detailed protocols of embedding for studying plant materials through microscopy.

Knocking Down the Expression of GMPase Gene OsVTC1-1 Decreases Salt Tolerance of Rice at Seedling and Reproductive Stages

Salinity is a severe environmental stress that greatly impairs production of crops worldwide. Previous studies have shown that GMPase plays an important role in tolerance of plants to salt stress at vegetative stage. However, the function of GMPase in plant responses to salt stress at reproductive stage remains unclear. Studies have shown that heterologous expression of rice GMPase OsVTC1-1 enhanced salt tolerance of tobacco seedlings, but the native role of OsVTC1-1 in salt stress tolerance of rice is unknown. To illustrate the native function of GMPase in response of rice to salt stress, OsVTC1-1 expression was suppressed using RNAi-mediated gene silencing. Suppressing OsVTC1-1 expression obviously decreased salt tolerance of rice varieties at vegetative stage. Intriguingly, grain yield of OsVTC1-1 RNAi rice was also significantly reduced under salt stress, indicating that OsVTC1-1 plays an important role in salt tolerance of rice at both seedling and reproductive stages. OsVTC1-1 RNAi rice accumulated more ROS under salt stress, and supplying exogenous ascorbic acid restored salt tolerance of OsVTC1-1 RNAi lines, suggesting that OsVTC1-1 is involved in salt tolerance of rice through the biosynthesis regulation of ascorbic acid. Altogether, results of present study showed that rice GMPase gene OsVTC1-1 plays a critical role in salt tolerance of rice at both vegetative and reproductive stages through AsA scavenging of excess ROS.

Post-Synthetic Defucosylation of AGP by Aspergillus nidulans α-1,2-Fucosidase Expressed in Arabidopsis Apoplast Induces Compensatory Upregulation of α-1,2-Fucosyltransferases

Cell walls are essential components of plant cells which perform a variety of important functions for the different cell types, tissues and organs of a plant. Besides mechanical function providing cell shape, cell walls participate in intercellular communication, defense during plant-microbe interactions, and plant growth. The plant cell wall consists predominantly of polysaccharides with the addition of structural glycoproteins, phenolic esters, minerals, lignin, and associated enzymes. Alterations in the cell wall composition created through either changes in biosynthesis of specific constituents or their post-synthetic modifications in the apoplast compromise cell wall integrity and frequently induce plant compensatory responses as a result of these alterations. Here we report that post-synthetic removal of fucose residues specifically from arabinogalactan proteins in the Arabidopsis plant cell wall induces differential expression of fucosyltransferases and leads to the root and hypocotyl elongation changes. These results demonstrate that the post-synthetic modification of cell wall components presents a valuable approach to investigate the potential signaling pathways induced during plant responses to such modifications that usually occur during plant development and stress responses.

Evaluation of the significance of cell wall polymers in flax infected with a pathogenic strain of Fusarium oxysporum

BACKGROUND

Fusarium oxysporum infection leads to Fusarium-derived wilt, which is responsible for the greatest losses in flax (Linum usitatissimum) crop yield. Plants infected by Fusarium oxysporum show severe symptoms of dehydration due to the growth of the fungus in vascular tissues. As the disease develops, vascular browning and leaf yellowing can be observed. In the case of more virulent strains, plants die. The pathogen's attack starts with secretion of enzymes degrading the host cell wall. The main aim of the study was to evaluate the role of the cell wall polymers in the flax plant response to the infection in order to better understand the process of resistance and develop new ways to protect plants against infection. For this purpose, the expression of genes involved in cell wall polymer metabolism and corresponding polymer levels were investigated in flax seedlings after incubation with Fusarium oxysporum.

RESULTS

This analysis was facilitated by selecting two groups of genes responding differently to the infection. The first group comprised genes strongly affected by the infection and activated later (phenylalanine ammonia lyase and glucosyltransferase). The second group comprised genes which are slightly affected (up to five times) and their expression vary as the infection progresses. Fusarium oxysporum infection did not affect the contents of cell wall polymers, but changed their structure.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that the role of the cell wall polymers in the plant response to Fusarium oxysporum infection is manifested through changes in expression of their genes and rearrangement of the cell wall polymers. Our studies provided new information about the role of cellulose and hemicelluloses in the infection process, the change of their structure and the expression of genes participating in their metabolism during the pathogen infection. We also confirmed the role of pectin and lignin in this process, indicating the major changes at the mRNA level of lignin metabolism genes and the loosening of the pectin structure.

The presence of fucogalactoxyloglucan and its synthesis in rice indicates conserved functional importance in plants

The predominant structure of the hemicellulose xyloglucan (XyG) found in the cell walls of dicots is a fucogalactoXyG with an XXXG core motif, whereas in the Poaceae (grasses and cereals), the structure of XyG is less xylosylated (XXGGn core motif) and lacks fucosyl residues. However, specialized tissues of rice (Oryza sativa) also contain fucogalactoXyG. Orthologous genes of the fucogalactoXyG biosynthetic machinery of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) are present in the rice genome. Expression of these rice genes, including fucosyl-, galactosyl-, and acetyltransferases, in the corresponding Arabidopsis mutants confirmed their activity and substrate specificity, indicating that plants in the Poaceae family have the ability to synthesize fucogalactoXyG in vivo. The data presented here provide support for a functional conservation of XyG structure in higher plants.

Multi-omics analysis identifies genes mediating the extension of cell walls in the Arabidopsis thaliana root elongation zone

Plant cell wall composition is important for regulating growth rates, especially in roots. However, neither analyses of cell wall composition nor transcriptomes on their own can comprehensively reveal which genes and processes are mediating growth and cell elongation rates. This study reveals the benefits of carrying out multiple analyses in combination. Sections of roots from five anatomically and functionally defined zones in Arabidopsis thaliana were prepared and divided into three biological replicates. We used glycan microarrays and antibodies to identify the major classes of glycans and glycoproteins present in the cell walls of these sections, and identified the expected decrease in pectin and increase in xylan from the meristematic zone (MS), through the rapid and late elongation zones (REZ, LEZ) to the maturation zone and the rest of the root, including the emerging lateral roots. Other compositional changes included extensin and xyloglucan levels peaking in the REZ and increasing levels of arabinogalactan-proteins (AGP) epitopes from the MS to the LEZ, which remained high through the subsequent mature zones. Immuno-staining using the same antibodies identified the tissue and (sub)cellular localization of many epitopes. Extensins were localized in epidermal and cortex cell walls, while AGP glycans were specific to different tissues from root-hair cells to the stele. The transcriptome analysis found several gene families peaking in the REZ. These included a large family of peroxidases (which produce the reactive oxygen species (ROS) needed for cell expansion), and three xyloglucan endo-transglycosylase/hydrolase genes (XTH17, XTH18, and XTH19). The significance of the latter may be related to a role in breaking and re-joining xyloglucan cross-bridges between cellulose microfibrils, a process which is required for wall expansion. Knockdowns of these XTHs resulted in shorter root lengths, confirming a role of the corresponding proteins in root extension growth.

Pollen tube cell walls of wild and domesticated tomatoes contain arabinosylated and fucosylated xyloglucan

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

In flowering plants, fertilization relies on the delivery of the sperm cells carried by the pollen tube to the ovule. During the tip growth of the pollen tube, proper assembly of the cell wall polymers is required to maintain the mechanical properties of the cell wall. Xyloglucan (XyG) is a cell wall polymer known for maintaining the wall integrity and thus allowing cell expansion. In most angiosperms, the XyG of somatic cells is fucosylated, except in the Asterid clade (including the Solanaceae), where the fucosyl residues are replaced by arabinose, presumably due to an adaptive and/or selective diversification. However, it has been shown recently that XyG of Nicotiana alata pollen tubes is mostly fucosylated. The objective of the present work was to determine whether such structural differences between somatic and gametophytic cells are a common feature of Nicotiana and Solanum (more precisely tomato) genera.

METHODS

XyGs of pollen tubes of domesticated (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme and var. Saint-Pierre) and wild (S. pimpinellifolium and S. peruvianum) tomatoes and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) were analysed by immunolabelling, oligosaccharide mass profiling and GC-MS analyses.

KEY RESULTS

Pollen tubes from all the species were labelled with the mAb CCRC-M1, a monoclonal antibody that recognizes epitopes associated with fucosylated XyG motifs. Analyses of the cell wall did not highlight major structural differences between previously studied N. alata and N. tabacum XyG. In contrast, XyG of tomato pollen tubes contained fucosylated and arabinosylated motifs. The highest levels of fucosylated XyG were found in pollen tubes from the wild species.

CONCLUSIONS

The results clearly indicate that the male gametophyte (pollen tube) and the sporophyte have structurally different XyG. This suggests that fucosylated XyG may have an important role in the tip growth of pollen tubes, and that they must have a specific set of functional XyG fucosyltransferases, which are yet to be characterized.

Multi-omics analysis identifies genes mediating the extension of cell walls in the Arabidopsis thaliana root elongation zone

Plant cell wall composition is important for regulating growth rates, especially in roots. However, neither analyses of cell wall composition nor transcriptomes on their own can comprehensively reveal which genes and processes are mediating growth and cell elongation rates. This study reveals the benefits of carrying out multiple analyses in combination. Sections of roots from five anatomically and functionally defined zones in Arabidopsis thaliana were prepared and divided into three biological replicates. We used glycan microarrays and antibodies to identify the major classes of glycans and glycoproteins present in the cell walls of these sections, and identified the expected decrease in pectin and increase in xylan from the meristematic zone (MS), through the rapid and late elongation zones (REZ, LEZ) to the maturation zone and the rest of the root, including the emerging lateral roots. Other compositional changes included extensin and xyloglucan levels peaking in the REZ and increasing levels of arabinogalactan-proteins (AGP) epitopes from the MS to the LEZ, which remained high through the subsequent mature zones. Immuno-staining using the same antibodies identified the tissue and (sub)cellular localization of many epitopes. Extensins were localized in epidermal and cortex cell walls, while AGP glycans were specific to different tissues from root-hair cells to the stele. The transcriptome analysis found several gene families peaking in the REZ. These included a large family of peroxidases (which produce the reactive oxygen species (ROS) needed for cell expansion), and three xyloglucan endo-transglycosylase/hydrolase genes (XTH17, XTH18, and XTH19). The significance of the latter may be related to a role in breaking and re-joining xyloglucan cross-bridges between cellulose microfibrils, a process which is required for wall expansion. Knockdowns of these XTHs resulted in shorter root lengths, confirming a role of the corresponding proteins in root extension growth.

Functional conservation of the glycosyltransferase gene GT47A in the monocot rice

Glucuronoarabinoxylan is the major hemicellulose in grass cell walls, yet the mechanism of xylan synthesis in monocot plants is still unclear. Unraveling the genes involved in the biosynthesis of xylan in rice will be very important for the utilization of rice straw as a source of bioenergy in the future. In this report, we investigated the functional role of a rice gene homologous to Arabidopsis IRREGULAR XYLEM10 (IRX10), belonging to the glycosyl transferase (GT) gene family 47 (GT47), in the biosynthesis of xylan. The protein sequence of OsGT47A from rice exhibits a 93.49% similarity to IRX10, which is involved in the biosynthesis of glucuronoxylan in Arabidopsis. Phylogenetic analysis of the GT47 glycosyl transferase family in the rice genome revealed that OsGT47A is a closely related homolog of IRX10 and IRX10L. Expression pattern analysis showed that the OsGT47A gene is highly expressed in the rice stem. Overexpression of OsGT47A in the irx10 irx10L double mutant rescued the plant growth phenotype and restored secondary wall thickness. Analysis of monosaccharides indicated that the rescued plants had levels of xylose identical to those of the wild type plants, and the fluorescence signals were restored in the complementation plants by xylan immunolocalization. The OsGT47A complementation under the native promoter of Arabidopsis IRX10L (ProIRX10L) partially rescued the double mutant, indicating that OsGT47A is functionally equivalent to IRX10L. Together, these results suggest that the IRX10 homolog OsGT47A exhibits functional conservation and is most likely involved in xylan synthesis in rice.

Cotton proteomics for deciphering the mechanism of environment stress response and fiber development

Cotton fiber is considered as the backbone of the textile industry. The productivity of cotton crop is severely hampered by the occurrence of pathogens, pests, and various environmental factors. Nevertheless, cotton plant has developed sophisticated mechanisms to respond to environment stresses to avoid detrimental effects on its growth and development. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of cotton fiber development and environment stress response is of considerable interest for designing agriculture breeding strategies to ensure sustainable productivity. The application of proteomics technologies to advance our knowledge in cotton fiber development and abiotic/biotic stress tolerance has increased dramatically in the last 5years as evidenced by the large amount of publications in this area. This review summarizes the work which has been reported for cotton proteomics and evaluates the findings in context of the approaches that are widely employed with the aim to generate novel insight useful for cotton improvement.

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is considered as the foremost commercially important fiber crop grown all over the world and is deemed as the backbone of the textile industry. Cotton is also an important source of edible oil seed and a nutrient-rich food crop as cottonseed contains high-quality protein and oil. The growth and productivity of cotton crop are often hampered by various biotic stress factors, such as insect pests and pathogens. In addition, cotton plants are frequently subjected to unavoidable environmental factors that cause abiotic stress, such as salt, heat and drought. Proteomic techniques provide one of the best options for understanding the gene function and phenotypic changes during cotton fiber development and stress response. This review first summarizes the work which has been reported for cotton proteomics about cotton fiber development and abiotic/biotic stress tolerance, and also evaluates the findings in context of the approaches that are widely employed during last 5years, with the aim to generate novel insight useful for cotton improvement. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Proteomics of non-model organisms.

Genome-wide transcriptomic analysis of the sporophyte of the moss Physcomitrella patens

Bryophytes, the most basal of the extant land plants, diverged at least 450 million years ago. A major feature of these plants is the biphasic alternation of generations between a dominant haploid gametophyte and a minor diploid sporophyte phase. These dramatic differences in form and function occur in a constant genetic background, raising the question of whether the switch from gametophyte-to-sporophyte development reflects major changes in the spectrum of genes being expressed or alternatively whether only limited changes in gene expression occur and the differences in plant form are due to differences in how the gene products are put together. This study performed replicated microarray analyses of RNA from several thousand dissected and developmentally staged sporophytes of the moss Physcomitrella patens, allowing analysis of the transcriptomes of the sporophyte and early gametophyte, as well as the early stages of moss sporophyte development. The data indicate that more significant changes in transcript profile occur during the switch from gametophyte to sporophyte than recently reported, with over 12% of the entire transcriptome of P. patens being altered during this major developmental transition. Analysis of the types of genes contributing to these differences supports the view of the early sporophyte being energetically and nutritionally dependent on the gametophyte, provides a profile of homologues to genes involved in angiosperm stomatal development and physiology which suggests a deeply conserved mechanism of stomatal control, and identifies a novel series of transcription factors associated with moss sporophyte development.

Cell Wall Composition, Biosynthesis and Remodeling during Pollen Tube Growth

The pollen tube is a fast tip-growing cell carrying the two sperm cells to the ovule allowing the double fertilization process and seed setting. To succeed in this process, the spatial and temporal controls of pollen tube growth within the female organ are critical. It requires a massive cell wall deposition to promote fast pollen tube elongation and a tight control of the cell wall remodeling to modify the mechanical properties. In addition, during its journey, the pollen tube interacts with the pistil, which plays key roles in pollen tube nutrition, guidance and in the rejection of the self-incompatible pollen. This review focuses on our current knowledge in the biochemistry and localization of the main cell wall polymers including pectin, hemicellulose, cellulose and callose from several pollen tube species. Moreover, based on transcriptomic data and functional genomic studies, the possible enzymes involved in the cell wall remodeling during pollen tube growth and their impact on the cell wall mechanics are also described. Finally, mutant analyses have permitted to gain insight in the function of several genes involved in the pollen tube cell wall biosynthesis and their roles in pollen tube growth are further discussed.

The cell wall of the Arabidopsis pollen tube--spatial distribution, recycling, and network formation of polysaccharides

The pollen tube is a cellular protuberance formed by the pollen grain, or male gametophyte, in flowering plants. Its principal metabolic activity is the synthesis and assembly of cell wall material, which must be precisely coordinated to sustain the characteristic rapid growth rate and to ensure geometrically correct and efficient cellular morphogenesis. Unlike other model species, the cell wall of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) pollen tube has not been described in detail. We used immunohistochemistry and quantitative image analysis to provide a detailed profile of the spatial distribution of the major cell wall polymers composing the Arabidopsis pollen tube cell wall. Comparison with predictions made by a mechanical model for pollen tube growth revealed the importance of pectin deesterification in determining the cell diameter. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that cellulose microfibrils are oriented in near longitudinal orientation in the Arabidopsis pollen tube cell wall, consistent with a linear arrangement of cellulose synthase CESA6 in the plasma membrane. The cellulose label was also found inside cytoplasmic vesicles and might originate from an early activation of cellulose synthases prior to their insertion into the plasma membrane or from recycling of short cellulose polymers by endocytosis. A series of strategic enzymatic treatments also suggests that pectins, cellulose, and callose are highly cross linked to each other.

Immunological approaches to plant cell wall and biomass characterization: immunolocalization of glycan epitopes

Plant cell walls are dynamic structures that show changes in composition and configuration depending on the developmental stage, biotic, and abiotic factors. Therefore, it is necessary to have tools for visualizing the components of the cell wall in situ at any stage. Here, we describe how specific monoclonal antibodies can be used to examine the distribution of plant cell wall glycan epitopes at the whole plant, tissue, cell, and subcellular levels. Understanding the basic cell wall structure is essential for devising efficient strategies to convert cell walls to fermentable sugars for ethanol production.

Immunological approaches to plant cell wall and biomass characterization: Glycome Profiling

The native complexity of plant cell walls makes research on them challenging. Hence, it is advantageous to have a diversity of tools that can be used to analyze and characterize plant cell walls. In this chapter, we describe one of two immunological approaches that can be employed for screening of plant cell wall/biomass materials from diverse plants and tissues. This approach, Glycome Profiling, lends itself well to moderate to high-throughput screening of plant cell wall/biomass samples. Glycome Profiling is being further optimized to reduce the amount of sample required for the analysis, and to improve the sensitivity and throughput of the assay. We are optimistic that Glycome Profiling will prove to be a broadly applicable experimental approach that will find increasing application to a wide variety of studies on plant cell wall/biomass samples.

Genetic control of plant organ growth

CONTENTS

Summary 319 I. Introduction 320 II. The cell biology and biophysics of growth 320 III. Timing is everything: what determines when proliferation gives way to expansion? 323 IV. Anisotropic growth and the importance of polarity 325 V. How does organ identity and developmental patterning modulate growth behaviour? 326 VI. Coordination of growth at different scales 327 VII. Conclusions 329 Acknowledgements 329 References 330

SUMMARY

The growth of plant organs is under genetic control. Work in model species has identified a considerable number of genes that regulate different aspects of organ growth. This has led to an increasingly detailed knowledge about how the basic cellular processes underlying organ growth are controlled, and which factors determine when proliferation gives way to expansion, with this transition emerging as a critical decision point during primordium growth. Progress has been made in elucidating the genetic basis of allometric growth and the role of tissue polarity in shaping organs. We are also beginning to understand how the mechanisms that determine organ identity influence local growth behaviour to generate organs with characteristic sizes and shapes. Lastly, growth needs to be coordinated at several levels, for example between different cell layers and different regions within one organ, and the genetic basis for such coordination is being elucidated. However, despite these impressive advances, a number of basic questions are still not fully answered, for example, whether and how a growing primordium keeps track of its size. Answering these questions will likely depend on including additional approaches that are gaining in power and popularity, such as combined live imaging and modelling.

Root hair-specific disruption of cellulose and xyloglucan in AtCSLD3 mutants, and factors affecting the post-rupture resumption of mutant root hair growth

The glycosyl transferase encoded by the cellulose synthase-like gene CSLD3/KJK/RHD7 (At3g03050) is required for cell wall integrity during root hair formation in Arabidopsis thaliana but it remains unclear whether it contributes to the synthesis of cellulose or hemicellulose. We identified two new alleles, root hair-defective (rhd) 7-1 and rhd7-4, which affect the C-terminal end of the encoded protein. Like root hairs in the previously characterized kjk-2 putative null mutant, rhd7-1 and rhd7-4 hairs rupture before tip growth but, depending on the growth medium and temperature, hairs are able to survive rupture and initiate tip growth, indicating that these alleles retain some function. At 21°C, the rhd7 tip-growing root hairs continued to rupture but at 5ºC, rupture was inhibited, resulting in long, wild type-like root hairs. At both temperatures, the expression of another root hair-specific CSLD gene, CSLD2, was increased in the rhd7-4 mutant but reduced in the kjk-2 mutant, suggesting that CSLD2 expression is CSLD3-dependent, and that CSLD2 could partially compensate for CSLD3 defects to prevent rupture at 5°C. Using a fluorescent brightener (FB 28) to detect cell wall (1 → 4)-β-glucans (primarily cellulose) and CCRC-M1 antibody to detect fucosylated xyloglucans revealed a patchy distribution of both in the mutant root hair cell walls. Cell wall thickness varied, and immunogold electron microscopy indicated that xyloglucan distribution was altered throughout the root hair cell walls. These cell wall defects indicate that CSLD3 is required for the normal organization of both cellulose and xyloglucan in root hair cell walls.

Understanding tissue specific compositions of bioenergy feedstocks through hyperspectral Raman imaging

Hyperspectral Raman imaging was used to study the tissue/cell type specific distribution of lignin and cellulose polymers within the plant cell walls. Distinct differences in cell wall compositions were identified between two potential bioenergy feedstocks: corn stover and Eucalyptus globulus. Characteristic bands of 627, 1,175, 1,206, and 1,428 cm⁻¹ were only observed for corn stover and 1,381 cm⁻¹ was only present in E. globulus. One-dimensional and two-dimensional chemical maps of lignin and cellulose were generated for the stem of corn stover, ranging from the epidermis to the pith area and revealed that lignin and cellulose abundance varies significantly among different cell types in the following order: sclerenchyma cells and tracheids (∼5 times) > epidermal cells (∼3 times) > bundle sheath cells > parenchyma cells. The Raman mapping methods developed on corn stover were also validated on E. globulus and clearly highlighted their difference in lignin composition.

Distribution of fucosylated xyloglucans among the walls of different cell types in monocotyledons determined by immunofluorescence microscopy

Xyloglucans in the non-lignified primary cell walls of different species of monocotyledons have diverse structures, with widely varying proportions of oligosaccharide units that contain fucosylated side chains (F side chains). To determine whether fucosylated xyloglucans occur in all non-lignified walls in a range of monocotyledon species, we used immunofluorescence microscopy with the monoclonal antibody CCRC-M1. The epitope of this antibody, α-L-Fucp-(1→2)-β-D-Galp, occurs in F side chains. In most non-commelinid monocotyledons, the epitope was found in all non-lignified walls. A similar distribution was found in the palm Phoenix canariensis, which is a member of the basal commelinid order Arecales. However, in the other commelinid orders Zingiberales, Commelinales, and Poales, the occurrence of the epitope was restricted, sometimes occurring in only the phloem walls, but often also in walls of other cell types including stomatal guard and subsidiary cells and raphide idioblasts. No epitope was found in the walls of the commelinids Tradescantia virginiana (Commelinaceae, Commelinales) and Zea mays (Poaceae, Poales), but it occurred in the phloem walls of two other Poaceae species, Lolium multiflorum and L. perenne. The distribution of the epitope is discussed in relation to xyloglucan structures in the different taxa. However, the functional significance of the restricted distributions is unknown.

Biochemical and immunocytological characterizations of Arabidopsis pollen tube cell wall

During plant sexual reproduction, pollen germination and tube growth require development under tight spatial and temporal control for the proper delivery of the sperm cells to the ovules. Pollen tubes are fast growing tip-polarized cells able to perceive multiple guiding signals emitted by the female organ. Adhesion of pollen tubes via cell wall molecules may be part of the battery of signals. In order to study these processes, we investigated the cell wall characteristics of in vitro-grown Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) pollen tubes using a combination of immunocytochemical and biochemical techniques. Results showed a well-defined localization of cell wall epitopes. Low esterified homogalacturonan epitopes were found mostly in the pollen tube wall back from the tip. Xyloglucan and arabinan from rhamnogalacturonan I epitopes were detected along the entire tube within the two wall layers and the outer wall layer, respectively. In contrast, highly esterified homogalacturonan and arabinogalactan protein epitopes were found associated predominantly with the tip region. Chemical analysis of the pollen tube cell wall revealed an important content of arabinosyl residues (43%) originating mostly from (1-->5)-alpha-L-arabinan, the side chains of rhamnogalacturonan I. Finally, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis of endo-glucanase-sensitive xyloglucan showed mass spectra with two dominant oligosaccharides (XLXG/XXLG and XXFG), both being mono O-acetylated, and accounting for over 68% of the total ion signals. These findings demonstrate that the Arabidopsis pollen tube wall has its own characteristics compared with other cell types in the Arabidopsis sporophyte. These structural features are discussed in terms of pollen tube cell wall biosynthesis and growth dynamics.

Fucosylated high molecular mass but not non-fucosylated low molecular mass xyloglucans undergo an extensive depolymerization in cell walls of azuki bean epicotyls

Epicotyl cuttings of azuki bean were incubated with [14C]-glucose (Glc) or [3H]-fucose (Fuc), and the metabolism of radiolabeled polymers in the 24% KOH-extractable cell wall fraction was investigated. Applied 14C-Glc and (3)H-Fuc were predominantly incorporated into the glucan backbone and Fuc residue of xyloglucan molecules, respectively. On gel permeation chromatography, 14C-polymers consisted of a main peak (0.7-1.0 MDa) and shoulder peak (30 kDa). The pattern was similar to that of iodine-reactive xyloglucans in the fraction. On the other hand, 3H-polymers consisted of a single peak eluted around 0.7-1.0 MDa. The elution patterns of 14C- and 3H-polymers were constant during the incubation period, although incorporated radioactivity increased with time. In the pulse-chase experiment, the high molecular mass peaks (0.7-1.0 MDa) of both 14C- and 3H-polymers showed an extensive molecular mass downshift, but not the shoulder peak of 14C-polymers. These results indicate that xyloglucans in the fraction consist of two types of molecules; fucosylated high molecular mass polymers and non-fucosylated low molecular mass polymers. Azuki bean epicotyls may synthesize both types of xyloglucans independently, but only fucosylated xyloglucans undergo an active depolymerization in the cell wall.

A comprehensive toolkit of plant cell wall glycan-directed monoclonal antibodies

A collection of 130 new plant cell wall glycan-directed monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) was generated with the aim of facilitating in-depth analysis of cell wall glycans. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based screen against a diverse panel of 54 plant polysaccharides was used to characterize the binding patterns of these new mAbs, together with 50 other previously generated mAbs, against plant cell wall glycans. Hierarchical clustering analysis was used to group these mAbs based on the polysaccharide recognition patterns observed. The mAb groupings in the resulting cladogram were further verified by immunolocalization studies in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) stems. The mAbs could be resolved into 19 clades of antibodies that recognize distinct epitopes present on all major classes of plant cell wall glycans, including arabinogalactans (both protein- and polysaccharide-linked), pectins (homogalacturonan, rhamnogalacturonan I), xyloglucans, xylans, mannans, and glucans. In most cases, multiple subclades of antibodies were observed to bind to each glycan class, suggesting that the mAbs in these subgroups recognize distinct epitopes present on the cell wall glycans. The epitopes recognized by many of the mAbs in the toolkit, particularly those recognizing arabinose- and/or galactose-containing structures, are present on more than one glycan class, consistent with the known structural diversity and complexity of plant cell wall glycans. Thus, these cell wall glycan-directed mAbs should be viewed and utilized as epitope-specific, rather than polymer-specific, probes. The current world-wide toolkit of approximately 180 glycan-directed antibodies from various laboratories provides a large and diverse set of probes for studies of plant cell wall structure, function, dynamics, and biosynthesis.

Analysis of the Arabidopsis IRX9/IRX9-L and IRX14/IRX14-L pairs of glycosyltransferase genes reveals critical contributions to biosynthesis of the hemicellulose glucuronoxylan

The hemicellulose glucuronoxylan (GX) is a major component of plant secondary cell walls. However, our understanding of GX synthesis remains limited. Here, we identify and analyze two new genes from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), IRREGULAR XYLEM9-LIKE (IRX9-L) and IRX14-LIKE (IRX14-L) that encode glycosyltransferase family 43 members proposed to function during xylan backbone elongation. We place IRX9-L and IRX14-L in a genetic framework with six previously described glycosyltransferase genes (IRX9, IRX10, IRX10-L, IRX14, FRAGILE FIBER8 [FRA8], and FRA8 HOMOLOG [F8H]) and investigate their function in GX synthesis. Double-mutant analysis identifies IRX9-L and IRX14-L as functional homologs of IRX9 and IRX14, respectively. Characterization of irx9 irx10 irx14 fra8 and irx9-L irx10-L irx14-L f8h quadruple mutants allows definition of a set of genes comprising IRX9, IRX10, IRX14, and FRA8 that perform the main role in GX synthesis during vegetative development. The IRX9-L, IRX10-L, IRX14-L, and F8H genes are able to partially substitute for their respective homologs and normally perform a minor function. The irx14 irx14-L double mutant virtually lacks xylan, whereas irx9 irx9-L and fra8 f8h double mutants form lowered amounts of GX displaying a greatly reduced degree of backbone polymerization. Our findings reveal two distinct sets of four genes each differentially contributing to GX biosynthesis.

Cell wall components and pectin esterification levels as markers of proliferation and differentiation events during pollen development and pollen embryogenesis in Capsicum annuum L

Plant cell walls and their polymers are regulated during plant development, but the specific roles of their molecular components are still unclear, as well as the functional meaning of wall changes in different cell types and processes. In this work the in situ analysis of the distribution of different cell wall components was performed during two developmental programmes, gametophytic pollen development, which is a differentiation process, and stress-induced pollen embryogenesis, which involves proliferation followed by differentiation processes. The changes in cell wall polymers were compared with a system of plant cell proliferation and differentiation, the root apical meristem. The analysis was also carried out during the first stages of zygotic embryogenesis. Specific antibodies recognizing the major cell wall polymers, xyloglucan (XG) and the rhamnogalacturonan II (RGII) pectin domain, and antibodies against high- and low-methyl-esterified pectins were used for both dot-blot and immunolocalization with light and electron microscopy. The results showed differences in the distribution pattern of these molecular complexes, as well as in the proportion of esterified and non-esterified pectins in the two pollen developmental pathways. Highly esterified pectins were characteristics of proliferation, whereas high levels of the non-esterified pectins, XG and RGII were abundant in walls of differentiating cells. Distribution patterns similar to those of pollen embryos were found in zygotic embryos. The wall changes reported are characteristic of proliferation and differentiation events as markers of these processes that take place during pollen development and embryogenesis.

The distribution of cell wall polymers during antheridium development and spermatogenesis in the Charophycean green alga, Chara corallina

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The production of multicellular gametangia in green plants represents an early evolutionary development that is found today in all land plants and advanced clades of the Charophycean green algae. The processing of cell walls is an integral part of this morphogenesis yet very little is known about cell wall dynamics in early-divergent green plants such as the Charophycean green algae. This study represents a comprehensive analysis of antheridium development and spermatogenesis in the green alga, Chara corallina.

METHODS

Microarrays of cell wall components and immunocytochemical methods were employed in order to analyse cell wall macromolecules during antheridium development.

KEY RESULTS

Cellulose and pectic homogalacturonan epitopes were detected throughout all cell types of the developing antheridium including the unique cell wall protuberances of the shield cells and the cell walls of sperm cell initials. Arabinogalactan protein epitopes were distributed only in the epidermal shield cell layers and anti-xyloglucan antibody binding was only observed in the capitulum region that initially yields the sperm filaments. During the terminal stage of sperm development, no cell wall polymers recognized by the probes employed were found on the scale-covered sperm cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Antheridium development in C. corallina is a rapid event that includes the production of cell walls that contain polymers similar to those found in land plants. While pectic and cellulosic epitopes are ubiquitous in the antheridium, the distribution of arabinogalactan protein and xyloglucan epitopes is restricted to specific zones. Spermatogenesis also includes a major switch in the production of extracellular matrix macromolecules from cell walls to scales, the latter being a primitive extracellular matrix characteristic of green plants.

Microanalysis of plant cell wall polysaccharides

Oligosaccharide Mass Profiling (OLIMP) allows a fast and sensitive assessment of cell wall polymer structure when coupled with Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation Time Of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The short time required for sample preparation and analysis makes possible the study of a wide range of plant organs, revealing a high degree of heterogeneity in the substitution pattern of wall polymers such as the cross-linking glycan xyloglucan and the pectic polysaccharide homogalacturonan. The high sensitivity of MALDI-TOF allows the use of small amounts of samples, thus making it possible to investigate the wall structure of single cell types when material is collected by such methods as laser micro-dissection. As an example, the analysis of the xyloglucan structure in the leaf cell types outer epidermis layer, entire epidermis cell layer, palisade mesophyll cells, and vascular bundles were investigated. OLIMP is amenable to in situ wall analysis, where wall polymers are analyzed on unprepared plant tissue itself without first isolating cell walls. In addition, OLIMP enables analysis of wall polymers in Golgi-enriched fractions, the location of nascent matrix polysaccharide biosynthesis, enabling separation of the processes of wall biosynthesis versus post-deposition apoplastic metabolism. These new tools will make possible a semi-quantitative analysis of the cell wall at an unprecedented level.

Enzymatic characterization and comparison of various poaceae UDP-GlcA 4-epimerase isoforms

UDP-alpha-D-galacturonic acid (UDP-GalA) is a key precursor for the synthesis of various bacterial and plant polysaccharides. UDP-glucuronic acid 4-epimerase (UGlcAE) catalyses the reversible conversion of UDP-alpha-D-glucuronic acid to UDP-GalA. UGlcAEs isolated from bacterial species have different biochemical properties when compared with the isoenzymes from the plant dicot species, Arabidopsis. However, little is known about the specificity of UGlcAE in Poaceae species. Therefore, we cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli several maize and rice UGlcAE genes, and compared their enzymatic properties with dicot homologs from Arabidopsis. Our data show that UGlcAE isoforms in different plant species have different enzymatic properties. For example, the Poaceae UGlcAE enzymes from rice and maize have significantly lower K(i) for UDP-xylose when compared with the Arabidopsis enzymes. The epimerases from different plant species are very specific and unlike their bacterial homolog in Klebsiella pneumoniae, can only use UDP-GlcA or UDP-GalA as their substrate. This study demonstrates that although members of the plant UGlcAE isoforms are highly conserved, the in vitro enzymatic activity of specific Poaceae isoform(s) may be regulated differently by specific nucleotide or nucleotide sugar.

The structure, function, and biosynthesis of plant cell wall pectic polysaccharides

Plant cell walls consist of carbohydrate, protein, and aromatic compounds and are essential to the proper growth and development of plants. The carbohydrate components make up approximately 90% of the primary wall, and are critical to wall function. There is a diversity of polysaccharides that make up the wall and that are classified as one of three types: cellulose, hemicellulose, or pectin. The pectins, which are most abundant in the plant primary cell walls and the middle lamellae, are a class of molecules defined by the presence of galacturonic acid. The pectic polysaccharides include the galacturonans (homogalacturonan, substituted galacturonans, and RG-II) and rhamnogalacturonan-I. Galacturonans have a backbone that consists of alpha-1,4-linked galacturonic acid. The identification of glycosyltransferases involved in pectin synthesis is essential to the study of cell wall function in plant growth and development and for maximizing the value and use of plant polysaccharides in industry and human health. A detailed synopsis of the existing literature on pectin structure, function, and biosynthesis is presented.

Overexpression of Arabidopsis sorting nexin AtSNX2b inhibits endocytic trafficking to the vacuole

Sorting nexins are conserved proteins that function in vesicular trafficking and contain a characteristic phox homology (PX) domain. Here, we characterize the ubiquitously expressed Arabidopsis thaliana sorting nexin AtSNX2b. Sub-cellular fractionation studies indicate that AtSNX2b is peripherally associated with membranes. The AtSNX2b PX domain binds to phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate in vitro and this association is required for the localization of GFP-AtSNX2b to punctate structures in vivo, identified as the trans-Golgi network, prevacuolar compartment and endosomes. Overexpression of GFP-tagged AtSNX2b produces enlarged GFP-labeled compartments that can also be labeled by the endocytic tracer FM4-64. Endocytic trafficking of FM4-64 to the vacuole is arrested in these GFP-AtSNX2b compartments, and similar FM4-64-accumulating compartments are seen upon overexpression of untagged AtSNX2b. This suggests that exit of membrane components from these enlarged or aggregated endosomes is inhibited. Vacuolar proteins containing an N-terminal propeptide, but not those with a C-terminal propeptide, are also present in these enlarged compartments. We hypothesize that AtSNX2b is involved in vesicular trafficking from endosomes to the vacuole.