Search

The aim of this work was to optimize the conditions for in vitro synthesis of (1→3)-β-D-glucan (callose) and cellulose, using detergent extracts of membranes from hybrid aspen (Populus tremula × tremuloides) cells grown as suspension cultures. Callose was the only product synthesized when CHAPS extracts were used as a source of enzyme. The optimal reaction mixture for callose synthesis contained 100 mM Mops buffer pH 7.0, 1 mM UDP-glucose, 8 mM Ca2+, and 20 mM cellobiose. The use of digitonin to extract the membrane-bound proteins was required for cellulose synthesis. Yields as high as 50% of the total in vitro products were obtained when cells were harvested in the stationary phase of the growth curve, callose being the other product. The optimal mixture for cellulose synthesis consisted of 100 mM Mops buffer pH 7.0, 1 mM UDP-glucose, 1 mM Ca2+, 8 mM Mg2+, and 20 mM cellobiose. The in vitroβ-glucans were identified by hydrolysis of radioactive products, using specific enzymes. 13C-Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy were also used for callose characterization. The (1→3)-β-D-glucan systematically had a microfibrillar morphology, but the size and organization of the microfibrils were affected by the nature of the detergent used for enzyme extraction. The discussion of the results is included in a short review of the field that also compares the data obtained with those available in the literature. The results presented show that the hybrid aspen is a promising model for in vitro studies on callose and cellulose synthesis.

Cellulose is synthesized in plant cell walls by large membrane-bound protein complexes proposed to contain several copies of the catalytic subunit of the cellulose synthase, CesA. Here we report identification of 10 distinct CesA genes within a database of 100,000 ESTs of the hybrid aspen, Populus tremula (L.) × P. tremuloides (Michx.). Expression analyses in normal wood undergoing xylogenesis and in tension wood indicate xylem specific expression of four putative CesA isoenzymes, PttCesA1, PttCesA3-1, PttCesA3-2 and PttCesA9. Both the protein sequences and the expression profiles of PttCesA3-1 and PttCesA3-2 are very similar, and they may thus represent redundant copies of an enzyme with essentially the same function. Further, one of the generally more constitutively expressed CesA genes, PttCesA2, seems to be activated on the opposite side of a tension wood induced stem, while PttCesA6 appears to be more specific for leaf tissues. The rest of the hybrid aspen CesA genes were found to be relatively evenly expressed over the poplar tissues hereby studied.

International audience; Detergent-resistant plasma membrane microdomains [DRMs (detergent-resistant membranes)] were isolated recently from several plant species. As for animal cells, a large range of cellular functions, such as signal transduction, endocytosis and protein trafficking, have been attributed to plant lipid rafts and DRMs. The data available are essentially based on proteomics and more approaches need to be undertaken to elucidate the precise function of individual populations of DRMs in plants. We report here the first isolation of DRMs from purified plasma membranes of a tree species, the hybrid aspen Populus tremula x tremuloides, and their biochemical characterization. Plasma membranes were solubilized with Triton X-100 and the resulting DRMs were isolated by flotation in sucrose density gradients. The DRMs were enriched in sterols, sphingolipids and glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins and thus exhibited similar properties to DRMs from other species. However, they contained key carbohydrate synthases involved in cell wall polysaccharide biosynthesis, namely callose [(1-->3)-beta-D-glucan] and cellulose synthases. The association of these enzymes with DRMs was demonstrated using specific glucan synthase assays and antibodies, as well as biochemical and chemical approaches for the characterization of the polysaccharides synthesized in vitro by the isolated DRMs. More than 70% of the total glucan synthase activities present in the original plasma membranes was associated with the DRM fraction. In addition to shedding light on the lipid environment of callose and cellulose synthases, our results demonstrate the involvement of DRMs in the biosynthesis of important cell wall polysaccharides. This novel concept suggests a function of plant membrane microdomains in cell growth and morphogenesis.

Cellulose biosynthesis is a vital but yet poorly understood biochemical process in Oomycetes. Here, we report the identification and characterization of the cellulose synthase genes (CesA) from Saprolegnia monoica. Southern blot experiments revealed the occurrence of three CesA homologues in this species and phylogenetic analyses confirmed that Oomycete CesAs form a clade of their own. All gene products contained the D,D,D,QXXRW signature of most processive glycosyltransferases, including cellulose synthases. However, their N-terminal ends exhibited Oomycete-specific domains, i.e. Pleckstrin Homology domains, or conserved domains of an unknown function together with additional putative transmembrane domains. Mycelial growth was inhibited in the presence of the cellulose biosynthesis inhibitors 2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile or Congo Red. This inhibition was accompanied by a higher expression of all CesA genes in the mycelium and increased in vitro glucan synthase activities. Altogether, our data strongly suggest a direct involvement of the identified CesA genes in cellulose biosynthesis.

Wood formation is a fundamental biological process of significant economic andcommercial interest. During wood formation, most glucose from the carbohydratemetabolism is channeled to cellulose in the secondary cell walls. The cellulose microfibrils associate with hemicellulose, proteins, and lignin to form the strong and flexiblebiocomposite known as wood. As the main wood component, cellulose is essential forthe survival of trees and for their exploitation by man.In spite of this, the molecular details of cellulose biosynthesis have remained obscure in all plants. In particular, the toughness of wood cells makes it hard to isolateactive enzymes and study cellulose synthesis in trees. Functional genomics providespowerful new tools to study complex metabolic processes. In this way, 18 CesA geneshave been recently identified in the genome sequence of Populus trichocarpa.Expression profiling during wood formation has shown that four of these genesare specifically upregulated during xylogenesis and/or tension wood formation. Othergenes that follow the same expression pattern as the wood-related CesA genes encodethe putative Korrigan ortholog PttCel9A and a novel microtubule associated proteinPttMAP20. Cell suspension cultures of hybrid aspen with elevated expression of thesecondary cell wall specific PttCesA genes have been used for efficient in vitro synthesisof cellulose, which will facilitate future studies of this challenging process in trees.