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An Arabidopsis family GT106 glycosyltransferase is essential for xylan biosynthesis and secondary wall deposition

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Abstract

Main conclusion

We have demonstrated that the Arabidopsis FRA9 (fragile fiber 9) gene is specifically expressed in secondary wall-forming cells and essential for the synthesis of the unique xylan reducing end sequence.

Abstract

Xylan is made of a linear chain of β-1,4-linked xylosyl (Xyl) residues that are often substituted with (methyl)glucuronic acid [(Me)GlcA] side chains and may be acetylated at O-2 and/or O-3. The reducing end of xylan from gymnosperms and dicots contains a unique tetrasaccharide sequence consisting of β-D-Xylp-(1 → 3)-α-L-Rhap-(1 → 2)-α-D-GalpA-(1 → 4)-D-Xylp, the synthesis of which requires four different glycosyltransferase activities. Genetic analysis in Arabidopsis thaliana has so far implicated three glycosyltransferase genes, FRA8 (fragile fiber 8), IRX8 (irregular xylem 8) and PARVUS, in the synthesis of this unique xylan reducing end sequence. Here, we report the essential role of FRA9, a member of glycosyltransferase family 106 (GT106), in the synthesis of this sequence. The expression of the FRA9 gene was shown to be induced by secondary wall master transcriptional regulators and specifically associated with secondary wall-forming cells, including xylem and fiber cells. T-DNA knockout mutation of the FRA9 gene caused impaired secondary cell wall thickening in leaf veins and a severe arrest of plant growth. RNA interference (RNAi) downregulation of FRA9 led to a significant reduction in secondary wall thickening of fibers, a deformation of xylem vessels and a decrease in xylan content. Structural analysis of xylanase-released xylooligomers revealed that RNAi downregulation of FRA9 resulted in a diminishment of the unique xylan reducing end sequence and complete methylation of xylan GlcA side chains, chemotypes reminiscent of those of the fra8, irx8 and parvus mutants. Furthermore, two FRA9 close homologs from Populus trichocarpa were found to be wood-associated functional orthologs of FRA9. Together, our findings uncover a member of the GT106 family as a new player involved in the synthesis of the unique reducing end sequence of xylan.

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All data generated during this study are included in this article and its Supplementary Figure files.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences [grant No. DE-FG02-03ER15415]. We thank the ABRC for providing the Arabidopsis T-DNA insertion mutant seeds used in this study, the UGA Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Core Facility and the UGA Chemistry NMR Facility for instrumentation, and Dr. M.K. Kandasamy at the UGA Biomedical Microscopy Core for assistance with imaging using the Zeiss LSM 710 confocal microscope.

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  1. Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Ruiqin Zhong & Zheng-Hua Ye

  2. Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Dennis R. Phillips & Earle R. Adams

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  1. Ruiqin Zhong
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Zhong, R., Phillips, D.R., Adams, E.R. et al. An Arabidopsis family GT106 glycosyltransferase is essential for xylan biosynthesis and secondary wall deposition. Planta 257, 43 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-023-04077-4

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