title: beta-tubulin affects cellulose microfibril orientation in plant secondary fibre cell walls.
abstract: Cellulose microfibrils are the major structural component of plant secondary cell walls. Their arrangement in plant primary cell walls, and its consequent influence on cell expansion and cellular morphology, is directed by cortical microtubules; cylindrical protein filaments composed of heterodimers of alpha- and beta-tubulin. In secondary cell walls of woody plant stems the orientation of cellulose microfibrils influences the strength and flexibility of wood, providing the physical support that has been instrumental in vascular plant colonization of the troposphere. Here we show that a Eucalyptus grandisbeta-tubulin gene (EgrTUB1) is involved in determining the orientation of cellulose microfibrils in plant secondary fibre cell walls. This finding is based on RNA expression studies in mature trees, where we identified and isolated EgrTUB1 as a candidate for association with wood-fibre formation, and on the analysis of somatically derived transgenic wood sectors in Eucalyptus. We show that cellulose microfibril angle (MFA) is correlated with EgrTUB1 expression, and that MFA was significantly altered as a consequence of stable transformation with EgrTUB1. Our findings present an important step towards the production of fibres with altered tensile strength, stiffness and elastic properties, and shed light on one of the molecular mechanisms that has enabled trees to dominate terrestrial ecosystems.
authors.affiliation: The University of Melbourne, School of Forest and Ecosystem Science, Water Street, Creswick, Victoria 3363, Australia.
authors.forename: Antanas V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Spokevicius
authors.forename: Simon G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Southerton
authors.forename: Colleen P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: MacMillan
authors.forename: Deyou
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Siming
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.forename: Josquin F G
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Tibbits
authors.forename: Gavin F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Moran
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bossinger
mesh_terms: D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism*; D002482:Cellulose / Q000378:metabolism*; D005052:Eucalyptus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020894:Microfibrils / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D018514:Plant Structures / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D014404:Tubulin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014404:Tubulin; D002482:Cellulose