Development of Cellulosic Secondary Walls in Flax Fibers Requires Β-Galactosidase.

Autor: Roach, Melissa J., Mokshina, Natalia Y., Badhan, Ajay, Snegireva, Anastasiya V., Hobson, Neil, Deyholos, Michael K., Gorshkova, Tatyana A.
Předmět:
Zdroj: Plant Physiology; Jul2011, Vol. 156 Issue 3, p1351-1363, 13p
Abstrakt: Bast (phloem) fibers, tension wood fibers, and other cells with gelatinous-type secondary walls are rich in crystalline cellulose. In developing bast fibers of flax (Linum usitatissimum), a galactan-enriched matrix (Gn-layer) is gradually modified into a mature cellulosic gelatinous-layer (G-layer), which ultimately comprises most of the secondary cell wall. Previous studies have correlated this maturation process with expression of a putative Β-galactosidase. Here, we demonstrate that Β-galactosidase activity is in fact necessary for the dynamic remodeling of polysaccharides that occurs during normal secondary wall development in flax fibers. We found that developing stems of transgenic (LuBGAL-RNAi) flax with reduced Β-galactosidase activity had lower concentrations of free Gal and had significant reductions in the thickness of mature cellulosic G-layers compared with controls. Conversely, Gn-layers, labeled intensively by the galactan-specific LM5 antibody, were greatly expanded in LuBGAL-RNAi transgenic plants. Gross morphology and stem anatomy, including the thickness of bast fiber walls, were otherwise unaffected by silencing of Β-galactosidase transcripts. These results demonstrate a specific requirement for Β-galactosidase in hydrolysis of galactans during formation of cellulosic G-layers. Transgenic lines with reduced Β-galactosidase activity also had biochemical and spectroscopic properties consistent with a reduction in cellulose crystallinity. We further demonstrated that the tensile strength of normal flax stems is dependent on Β-galactosidase-mediated development of the phloem fiber G-layer. Thus, the mechanical strength that typifies flax stems is dependent on a thick, cellulosic G-layer, which itself depends on Β-galactosidase activity within the precursor Gn-layer. These observations demonstrate a novel role for matrix polysaccharides in cellulose deposition; the relevance of these observations to the development of cell walls in other species is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Databáze: Complementary Index