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

Wenbo Li; Qian Zhang; Shumin Cao; Laifu Luo; Lingting Li; Lili Gu; Yang Zhao; Laigeng Li

The Cell Surface (Dec 2021)

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

Wenbo Li,
Qian Zhang,
Shumin Cao,
Laifu Luo,
Lingting Li,
Lili Gu,
Yang Zhao,
Laigeng Li

Affiliations

Wenbo Li: National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
Qian Zhang: National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Shumin Cao: National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Laifu Luo: National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Lingting Li: National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Lili Gu: National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
Yang Zhao: Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
Laigeng Li: National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China; Corresponding author.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 7
p. 100049

Abstract

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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.

Published in The Cell Surface

ISSN: 2468-2330 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Science: Biology (General): Cytology
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/the-cell-surface

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