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Different organizations of the material are described and the way crystalline and amorphous celluloses differ is emphasized. Interchain interactions on both amorphous and crystalline structures are analyzed by means of the hydrogen bonding network.

The plant plasma membrane (PM) is an essential barrier between the cell and the external environment, controlling signal perception and transmission. It consists of an asymmetrical lipid bilayer made up of three different lipid classes: sphingolipids, sterols, and phospholipids. The glycosyl inositol phosphoryl ceramides (GIPCs), representing up to 40% of total sphingolipids, are assumed to be almost exclusively in the outer leaflet of the PM. However, their biological role and properties are poorly defined. In this study, we investigated the role of GIPCs in membrane organization. Because GIPCs are not commercially available, we developed a protocol to extract and isolate GIPC-enriched fractions from eudicots (cauliflower and tobacco) and monocots (leek and rice). Lipidomic analysis confirmed the presence of trihydroxylated long chain bases and 2-hydroxylated very long-chain fatty acids up to 26 carbon atoms. The glycan head groups of the GIPCs from monocots and dicots were analyzed by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry, revealing different sugar moieties. Multiple biophysics tools, namely Langmuir monolayer, ζ-Potential, light scattering, neutron reflectivity, solid state 2H-NMR, and molecular modeling, were used to investigate the physical properties of the GIPCs, as well as their interaction with free and conjugated phytosterols. We showed that GIPCs increase the thickness and electronegativity of model membranes, interact differentially with the different phytosterols species, and regulate the gel-to-fluid phase transition during temperature variations. These results unveil the multiple roles played by GIPCs in the plant PM., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We have investigated the ability of multilayered hybrid thin films of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and gibbsite nanoplatelets (GNPs) to be built by the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique onto substrates selected for packaging applications, and to improve the oxygen barrier properties. Using complementary structural characterization techniques, namely atomic force microscopy, ellipsometry, and spectral reflectance, we show that when deposited onto model silicon substrates these hybrid films were homogenous and of reduced porosity, and were comprised of alternately deposited monolayers of GNPs and CNCs. The successful deposition of such homogeneous and dense hybrid thin films onto various types of flexible substrates showing different chemical compositions, hydrophilicity, and surface morphology, ranging from cardboard to smart paper, polyethylene (PE) films, and PE-coated cardboard was also confirmed by scanning electron microscopy observations. In view of the diversity of these substrates we could confirm the remarkable robustness of such a deposition process, likely due to (i) the adaptability of the LbL assembling technique and (ii) the strong electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions between GNPs and CNCs. The measurement of the oxygen transmission rate (OTR) at 23°C and 50% RH showed that the oxygen barrier properties of the bare substrates could be significantly improved (e.g., 75% decrease of the OTR) after the deposition of such thin (<100 nm) multilayered hybrid films. This lowered permeability was tentatively attributed to the highly tortuous morphology of the coating, acting to impede the gas diffusion. These partially biosourced very thin films stand as good candidates for using as coatings showing high oxygen barrier performance.

Background: Lignocellulose biomass is known as a recalcitrant material towards enzymatic hydrolysis, increasing the process cost in biorefinery. In nature, filamentous fungi naturally degrade lignocellulose, using an arsenal of hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes. Assessment of enzyme hydrolysis efficiency generally relies on the yield of glucose for a given biomass. To better understand the markers governing recalcitrance to enzymatic degradation, there is a need to enlarge the set of parameters followed during deconstruction., Results: Industrially-pretreated biomass feedstocks from wheat straw, miscanthus and poplar were sequentially hydrolysed following two steps. First, standard secretome from Trichoderma reesei was used to maximize cellulose hydrolysis, producing three recalcitrant lignin-enriched solid substrates. Then fungal secretomes from three basidiomycete saprotrophs ( Laetisaria arvalis, Artolenzites elegans and Trametes ljubarskyi ) displaying various hydrolytic and oxidative enzymatic profiles were applied to these recalcitrant substrates, and compared to the T. reesei secretome. As a result, most of the glucose was released after the first hydrolysis step. After the second hydrolysis step, half of the remaining glucose amount was released. Overall, glucose yield after the two sequential hydrolyses was more dependent on the biomass source than on the fungal secretomes enzymatic profile. Solid residues obtained after the two hydrolysis steps were characterized using complementary methodologies. Correlation analysis of several physico-chemical parameters showed that released glucose yield was negatively correlated with lignin content and cellulose crystallinity while positively correlated with xylose content and water sorption. Water sorption appears as a pivotal marker of the recalcitrance as it reflects chemical and structural properties of lignocellulosic biomass., Conclusions: Fungal secretomes applied to highly recalcitrant biomass samples can further extend the release of the remaining glucose. The glucose yield can be correlated to chemical and physical markers, which appear to be independent from the biomass type and secretome. Overall, correlations between these markers reveal how nano-scale properties (polymer content and organization) influence macro-scale properties (particle size and water sorption). Further systematic assessment of these markers during enzymatic degradation will foster the development of novel cocktails to unlock the degradation of lignocellulose biomass., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

The development of non-cellularized injectable suspensions of viscous chitosan (CHI) solutions (1.7⁻3.3% ( w / w )), filled with cellulose nanofibers (CNF) (0.02⁻0.6% ( w / w )) of the type nanofibrillated cellulose, was proposed for viscosupplementation of the intervertebral disc nucleus pulposus tissue. The achievement of CNF/CHI formulations which can gel in situ at the disc injection site constitutes a minimally-invasive approach to restore damaged/degenerated discs. We studied physico-chemical aspects of the sol and gel states of the CNF/CHI formulations, including the rheological behavior in relation to injectability (sol state) and fiber mechanical reinforcement (gel state). CNF-CHI interactions could be evidenced by a double flow behavior due to the relaxation of the CHI polymer chains and those interacting with the CNFs. At high shear rates resembling the injection conditions with needles commonly used in surgical treatments, both the reference CHI viscous solutions and those filled with CNFs exhibited similar rheological behavior. The neutralization of the flowing and weakly acidic CNF/CHI suspensions yielded composite hydrogels in which the nanofibers reinforced the CHI matrix. We performed evaluations in relation to the biomedical application, such as the effect of the intradiscal injection of the CNF/CHI formulation in pig and rabbit spine models on disc biomechanics. We showed that the injectable formulations became hydrogels in situ after intradiscal gelation, due to CHI neutralization occurring in contact with the body fluids. No leakage of the injectate through the injection canal was observed and the gelled formulation restored the disc height and loss of mechanical properties, which is commonly related to disc degeneration.

Oomycetes are microorganisms that are distantly related to true fungi and many members of this phylum are major plant pathogens. Oomycetes express proteins that are able to interact with plant cell wall polysaccharides, such as cellulose. This interaction is thought to be mediated by carbohydrate-binding modules that are classified into CBM family 1 in the CAZy database. In this study, the two CBMs (1-1 and 1-2) that form part of the cell wall glycoprotein, CBEL, from Phytophthora parasitica have been submitted to detailed characterization, first to better quantify their interaction with cellulose and second to determine whether these CBMs can be useful for biotechnological applications, such as biomass hydrolysis. A variety of biophysical techniques were used to study the interaction of the CBMs with various substrates and the data obtained indicate that CBEL's CBM1-1 exhibits much greater cellulose binding ability than CBM1-2. Engineering of the family 11 xylanase from Talaromyces versatilis (TvXynB), an enzyme that naturally bears a fungal family 1 CBM, has produced two variants. The first one lacks its native CBM, whereas the second contains the CBEL CBM1-1. The study of these enzymes has revealed that wild type TvXynB binds to cellulose, via its CBM1, and that the substitution of its CBM by oomycetal CBM1-1 does not affect its activity on wheat straw. However, intriguingly the addition of CBEL during the hydrolysis of wheat straw actually potentiates the action of TvXynB variant lacking a CBM1. This suggests that the potentiating effect of CBM1-1 might not require the formation of a covalent linkage to TvXynB.

N-acetylglucosamine-based saccharides (chitosaccharides) are components of microbial cell walls and act as molecular signals during host-microbe interactions. In the legume plant Medicago truncatula, the perception of lipochitooligosaccharide signals produced by symbiotic rhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi involves the Nod Factor Perception (NFP) lysin motif receptor-like protein and leads to the activation of the so-called common symbiotic pathway. In rice and Arabidopsis, lysin motif receptors are involved in the perception of chitooligosaccharides released by pathogenic fungi, resulting in the activation of plant immunity. Here we report the structural characterization of atypical chitosaccharides from the oomycete pathogen Aphanomyces euteiches, and their biological activity on the host Medicago truncatula. Using a combination of biochemical and biophysical approaches, we show that these chitosaccharides are linked to β-1,6-glucans, and contain a β-(1,3;1,4)-glucan backbone whose β-1,3-linked glucose units are substituted on their C-6 carbon by either glucose or N-acetylglucosamine residues. This is the first description of this type of structural motif in eukaryotic cell walls. Glucan-chitosaccharide fractions of A. euteiches induced the expression of defense marker genes in Medicago truncatula seedlings independently from the presence of a functional Nod Factor Perception protein. Furthermore, one of the glucan-chitosaccharide fractions elicited calcium oscillations in the nucleus of root cells. In contrast to the asymmetric oscillatory calcium spiking induced by symbiotic lipochitooligosaccharides, this response depends neither on the Nod Factor Perception protein nor on the common symbiotic pathway. These findings open new perspectives in oomycete cell wall biology and elicitor recognition and signaling in legumes.

Cotton cellulose nanocrystals with different aspect ratios have been dispersed in cyclohexane as a model apolar solvent, using surfactants. Above a critical concentration, which was higher than that in water, the suspensions spontaneously phase separated into a chiral nematic mesophase. According to Onsager's theory, the phase separation is controlled by the aspect ratio, while being influenced by the polydispersity. The sample with the highest aspect ratio did not show any phase separation but instead shows an anisotropic gel phase at high concentration. Experimental critical concentrations were found to be much lower than the predicted ones, revealing an attractive interaction between the rods. Chiral nematic pitches as small as 2 mum were found to be much lower than those measured in water, due to stronger chiral interactions in the apolar medium.

Chitin is an essential component of fungal cell walls, where it forms a crystalline scaffold, and chitooligosaccharides derived from it are signaling molecules recognized by the hosts of pathogenic fungi. Oomycetes are cellulosic fungus-like microorganisms which most often lack chitin in their cell walls. Here we present the first study of the cell wall of the oomycete Aphanomyces euteiches, a major parasite of legume plants. Biochemical analyses demonstrated the presence of ca. 10% N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) in the cell wall. Further characterization of the GlcNAc-containing material revealed that it corresponds to noncrystalline chitosaccharides associated with glucans, rather than to chitin per se. Two putative chitin synthase (CHS) genes were identified by data mining of an A. euteiches expressed sequence tag collection and Southern blot analysis, and full-length cDNA sequences of both genes were obtained. Phylogeny analysis indicated that oomycete CHS diversification occurred before the divergence of the major oomycete lineages. Remarkably, lectin labeling showed that the Aphanomyces euteiches chitosaccharides are exposed at the cell wall surface, and study of the effect of the CHS inhibitor nikkomycin Z demonstrated that they are involved in cell wall function. These data open new perspectives for the development of antioomycete drugs and further studies of the molecular mechanisms involved in the recognition of pathogenic oomycetes by the host plants.

A simple and sensitive method for the characterization of products synthesized in vitro by polysaccharide synthases is described. It relies on the use of (13)C-enriched nucleotide sugars as substrates and on the analysis of the newly synthesized polysaccharides by (13)C-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The method was validated with a (1-->3)-beta-d-glucan synthase from blackberry, but it may be applied to the study of any glycosyltransferase. The chemical synthesis of UDP-d-[U-(13)C]glucose was achieved in a classical procedure with an overall yield of 50%. A uniformly labeled (1-->3)-beta-d-glucan was synthesized from this substrate, using detergent extracts of blackberry cell membranes as a source of synthase. One hundred micrograms of product was sufficient for liquid and solid-state (13)C-NMR spectroscopy analyses. The method is at least 100 times more sensitive than in the case of nonenriched polysaccharides. It allows the unequivocal identification and direct structural characterization of the products synthesized in vitro, as opposed to conventional methods that rely on the use of radioactive substrates and enzymatic hydrolysis of the polysaccharides with specific glycoside hydrolases. The method proves that the glycan analyzed was synthesized de novo because the final product is enriched in (13)C. Information on the 3D organization of the polymer may also be obtained by solid-state NMR spectroscopy.