PagERF81 regulates lignin biosynthesis and xylem cell differentiation in poplar.

Lignin is a major component of plant cell walls and is essential for plant growth and development. Lignin biosynthesis is controlled by a hierarchical regulatory network involving multiple transcription factors. In this study, we showed that the gene encoding an APETALA 2/ethylene-responsive element binding factor (AP2/ERF) transcription factor, PagERF81, from poplar 84 K (Populus alba × P.

Boron-bridged RG-II and calcium are required to maintain the pectin network of the Arabidopsis seed mucilage ultrastructure.

The structure of a pectin network requires both calcium (Ca) and boron (B). Ca is involved in crosslinking pectic polysaccharides and arbitrarily induces the formation of an "egg-box" structure among pectin molecules, while B crosslinks rhamnogalacturonan II (RG-II) side chain A apiosyl residues in primary cell walls to generate a borate-dimeric-rhamnogalacturonan II (dRG-II-B) complex through a boron-bridge bond, leading to the formation of a pectin network. Based on recent studies of dRG-II-B structures, a hypothesis has been proposed suggesting that Cais a common component of the dRG-II-B complex.

[Molecular mechanism of AtGA3OX1 and AtGA3OX2 genes affecting secondary wall thickening in stems in Arabidopsis].

Bioactive gibberellins (GAs) are a type of important plant growth regulators, which play the key roles in multiple processes, such as seed germination, leaf expansion, flowering, fruit bearing, and stem development. Its biosynthesis is regulated by a variety of enzymes including gibberellin 3-oxidase that is a key rate-limiting enzyme. In Arabidopsis, gibberellin 3-oxidase consists of four members, of which AtGA3OX1 and AtGA3OX2 are highly expressed in stems, suggesting the potential roles in the stem development played by the two genes.

Molecular characterization of PoGT8D and PoGT43B, two secondary wall-associated glycosyltransferases in poplar.

Dicot wood is mainly composed of cellulose, lignin and glucuronoxylan (GX). Although the biosynthetic genes for cellulose and lignin have been studied intensively, little is known about the genes involved in the biosynthesis of GX during wood formation. Here, we report the molecular characterization of two genes, PoGT8D and PoGT43B, which encode putative glycosyltransferases, in the hybrid poplar Populus alba x tremula.

Arabidopsis irregular xylem8 and irregular xylem9: implications for the complexity of glucuronoxylan biosynthesis.

Mutations of Arabidopsis thaliana IRREGULAR XYLEM8 (IRX8) and IRX9 were previously shown to cause a collapsed xylem phenotype and decreases in xylose and cellulose in cell walls. In this study, we characterized IRX8 and IRX9 and performed chemical and structural analyses of glucuronoxylan (GX) from irx8 and irx9 plants. IRX8 and IRX9 are expressed specifically in cells undergoing secondary wall thickening, and their encoded proteins are targeted to the Golgi, where GX is synthesized.

Overexpression of miR165 affects apical meristem formation, organ polarity establishment and vascular development in Arabidopsis.

The class III homeodomain leucine-zipper (HD-ZIP III) genes are thought to be targets of microRNAs (miRNAs) 165 and 166, but it is not known whether all the developmental processes affected by mutations of the HD-ZIP III genes could be recapitulated by an alteration in the expression of miR165 and miR166. Previous work showed that overexpression of miR166 by activation tagging results in down-regulation of the ATHB-9/PHV, ATHB-14/PHB and ATHB-15 genes, and concomitantly causes an enlargement of shoot apical meristems (SAMs) and an enhancement in vascular development. Here we demonstrated that overexpression of miR165 causes a drastic reduction in the transcript levels of all five HD-ZIP III genes in Arabidopsis.

The poplar glycosyltransferase GT47C is functionally conserved with Arabidopsis Fragile fiber8.

Xylan is the major hemicellulose in dicot wood. Unraveling genes involved in the biosynthesis of xylan will be of importance in understanding the process of wood formation. In this report, we investigated the possible role of poplar GT47C, a glycosyltransferase belonging to family GT47, in the biosynthesis of xylan.

Arabidopsis fragile fiber8, which encodes a putative glucuronyltransferase, is essential for normal secondary wall synthesis.

Secondary walls in vessels and fibers of dicotyledonous plants are mainly composed of cellulose, xylan, and lignin. Although genes involved in biosynthesis of cellulose and lignin have been intensively studied, little is known about genes participating in xylan synthesis. We found that Arabidopsis thaliana fragile fiber8 (fra8) is defective in xylan synthesis.

Characterization of a rice class II metallothionein gene: tissue expression patterns and induction in response to abiotic factors.

Data mining the complete rice genome sequences revealed a genomic fragment encoding a characteristic metallothionein (MT) protein, and its full-length cDNA was isolated from rice developing seeds by RT-PCR. This cDNA, designated OsMT-II-1a, contains an open reading frame of 264 bp encoding a protein of 87 amino acid residues. The predicted amino acid sequence was shown to have structural features characteristic of plant class II MT proteins.