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Change in wall composition of transfer and aleurone cells during wheat grain development

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Abstract

In addition to the starchy endosperm, a specialized tissue accumulating storage material, the endosperm of wheat grain, comprises the aleurone layer and the transfer cells next to the crease. The transfer cells, located at the ventral region of the grain, are involved in nutrient transfer from the maternal tissues to the developing endosperm. Immunolabeling techniques, Raman spectroscopy, and synchrotron infrared micro-spectroscopy were used to study the chemistry of the transfer cell walls during wheat grain development. The kinetic depositions of the main cell wall polysaccharides of wheat grain endosperm, arabinoxylan, and (1–3)(1–4)-β-glucan in transfer cell walls were different from kinetics previously observed in the aleurone cell walls. While (1–3)(1–4)-β-glucan appeared first in the aleurone cell walls at 90°D, arabinoxylan predominated in the transfer cell walls from 90 to 445°D. Both aleurone and transfer cell walls were enriched in (1–3)(1–4)-β-glucan at the mature stage of wheat grain development. Arabinoxylan was more substituted in the transfer cell walls than in the aleurone walls. However, arabinoxylan was more feruloylated in the aleurone than in the transfer cell walls, whatever the stage of grain development. In the transfer cells, the ferulic acid was less abundant in the outer periclinal walls while para-coumarate was absent. Possible implications of such differences are discussed.

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Abbreviations

BSA:

Bovine serum albumin

DIC:

Differential interference contrast

FT-IR:

Fourier transform infrared

Ig:

Immunoglobulin

mAb:

Monoclonal antibody

anti-AX1:

Monoclonal antibody against arabinoxylan

PBS:

Phosphate-buffered saline

pAb:

Polyclonal serum

pAb:

Anti-FerAra polyclonal serum 5-O-Fer-Ara

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Acknowledgments

We are indebted to T. Chevalier (UR1268 Biopolymères Interactions Assemblages, 44300 Nantes, France) for technical assistance with microscopy. Synchrotron FT-IR experiments have been performed at the synchrotron SOLEIL on the SMIS beamline in the framework of the proposal 20060268.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INRA, UR1268 Biopolymères Interactions Assemblages, 44300, Nantes, France

    P. Robert, B. Bouchet, L. Saulnier & F. Guillon

  2. Synchrotron SOLEIL, L’Orme des Merisiers, BP 48, Saint Aubin, 91192, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    F. Jamme & P. Dumas

  3. INRA, UMR 1208 “Agropolymers Engineering and Emerging Technologies”, INRA-CIRAD-UMII-Supagro, 34000, Montpellier, France

    C. Barron

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  1. P. Robert
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  2. F. Jamme
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  3. C. Barron
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  5. L. Saulnier
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  6. P. Dumas
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  7. F. Guillon
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Correspondence to P. Robert.

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Robert, P., Jamme, F., Barron, C. et al. Change in wall composition of transfer and aleurone cells during wheat grain development. Planta 233, 393–406 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-010-1306-7

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