Galactoglucomannan oligosaccharides are assumed to affect tracheary element formation via interaction with auxin in Zinnia xylogenic cell culture.

Galactoglucomannan oligosaccharides seem to interact with auxin in xylogenic cell culture, thus influencing mainly metaxylem-like tracheary element differentiation depending on timing with hormones and the process kinetics. Complex mapping of Zinnia mesophyll cell transdifferentiation into tracheary elements with or without prior cell division was documented after palisade and spongy parenchyma cell immobilization during the first 4 days of culture. Here, we report a positive effect of galactoglucomannan oligosaccharides on cell viability and density and higher metaxylem-like tracheary element formation in xylogenic cell culture.

Deciphering the route of Ralstonia solanacearum colonization in Arabidopsis thaliana roots during a compatible interaction: focus at the plant cell wall.

The compatible interaction between the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, and the GMI1000 strain of the phytopathogenic bacterium, Ralstonia solanacearum, was investigated in an in vitro pathosystem. We describe the progression of the bacteria in the root from penetration at the root surface to the xylem vessels and the cell type-specific, cell wall-associated modifications that accompanies bacterial colonization. Within 6 days post inoculation, R.

Galactoglucomannans increase cell population density and alter the protoxylem/metaxylem tracheary element ratio in xylogenic cultures of Zinnia.

Xylogenic cultures of zinnia (Zinnia elegans) provide a unique opportunity to study signaling pathways of tracheary element (TE) differentiation. In vitro TEs differentiate into either protoxylem (PX)-like TEs characterized by annular/helical secondary wall thickening or metaxylem (MX)-like TEs with reticulate/scalariform/pitted thickening. The factors that determine these different cell fates are largely unknown.

Novel markers of xylogenesis in zinnia are differentially regulated by auxin and cytokinin.

The characterization of in vitro xylogenic cultures of zinnia (Zinnia elegans) has led to major discoveries in the understanding of xylem formation in plants. We have constructed and characterized a subtractive library from zinnia cultures enriched in genes that are specifically expressed at the onset of secondary wall deposition and tracheary element (TE) programmed cell death. This Late Xylogenesis Library (LXL) consisted of 236 nonredundant cDNAs, 77% of which encoded novel sequences in comparison with the 17,622 expressed sequence tag sequences publicly available.

Down-regulation of caffeic acid o-methyltransferase in maize revisited using a transgenic approach.

Transgenic maize (Zea mays) plants were generated with a construct harboring a maize caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT) cDNA in the antisense (AS) orientation under the control of the maize Adh1 (alcohol dehydrogenase) promoter. Adh1-driven beta-glucuronidase expression was localized in vascular tissues and lignifying sclerenchyma, indicating its suitability in transgenic experiments aimed at modifying lignin content and composition. One line of AS plants, COMT-AS, displayed a significant reduction in COMT activity (15%-30% residual activity) and barely detectable amounts of COMT protein as determined by western-blot analysis.