Elsevier

The Cell Surface

Volume 7, December 2021, 100049
The Cell Surface

A small molecule inhibits cell elongation by modulating cell wall polysaccharide composition in Arabidopsis

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcsw.2021.100049Get rights and content
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Highlight

  • This study identified a small molecule for modification of cell wall composition.

  • The molecule can be used as a tool to study cell wall remodeling during plant growth.

Abstract

The plant primary cell wall is comprised of pectin, cellulose and hemicelluloses, whose dynamic interactions play essential roles in plant cell elongation. Through a chemical genetics screening, we identified a small molecule, named cell wall modulator (CWM), which disrupted cell growth and deformed cell shape in etiolated Arabidopsis hypocotyl. A pectin defective mutant qua2, identified from screening an Arabidopsis EMS mutant library, showed a reduced sensitivity to CWM treatment. On the other hand, pectinase treatment suppressed the CWM induced phenotype. Furthermore, cellulose content was decreased in response to CWM treatment, while the cellulose synthesis mutants ixr1 and ixr2 were hypersensitive to CWM. Together, the study identified a small molecule CWM that induced a modification of the cell wall in elongating cells, likely through interfering with pectin modification. This molecule may be used as a tool to study cell wall remodeling during plant growth.

Keywords

Primary cell wall
Chemical genetics
Pectin
Arabidopsis

Abbreviations

HG
homogalacturonan
RG-I
rhamnogalacturonan-I
RG-II
rhamnogalacturonan-II
CSCs
cellulose synthase complexes
CESA
cellulose synthase
DE%
degree of methylesterification

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1

These authors contributed equally to this work.