title: Tricarboxylic acid cycle activity regulates tomato root growth via effects on secondary cell wall production.
abstract: Transgenic tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Moneymaker') plants independently expressing fragments of various genes encoding enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle in antisense orientation have previously been characterized as exhibiting altered root growth. In this study, we evaluate the rates of respiration of roots from these lines in addition to determining their total dry weight accumulation. Given that these features were highly correlated, we decided to carry out an evaluation of the cell wall composition in the transformants that revealed a substantial reduction in cellulose. Since the bulk of cellulose is associated with the secondary cell walls in roots, we reasoned that the transformants most likely were deficient in secondary wall cellulose production. Consistent with these findings, cross-sections of the root collar (approximately 15 mm from the junction between root and stem) displayed reduced lignified secondary cell walls for the transformants. In contrast, cell and cell wall patterning displayed no differences in elongating cells close to the root tip. To further characterize the modified cell wall metabolism, we performed feeding experiments in which we incubated excised root tips in [U-(14)C]glucose in the presence or absence of phosphonate inhibitors of the reaction catalyzed by 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase. Taken together, the combined results suggest that restriction of root respiration leads to a deficit in secondary cell wall synthesis. These data are discussed in the context of current models of biomass partitioning and plant growth.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
authors.forename: Margaretha J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: van der Merwe
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Osorio
authors.forename: Wagner L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Balbo
authors.forename: Adriano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nunes-Nesi
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maximova
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carrari
authors.forename: Victoria I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Bunik
authors.forename: Staffan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Persson
authors.forename: Alisdair R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Fernie
mesh_terms: D019069:Cell Respiration; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism*; D002482:Cellulose / Q000032:analysis; D002952:Citric Acid Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D007655:Ketoglutarate Dehydrogenase Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000254:growth & development*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002482:Cellulose; D007655:Ketoglutarate Dehydrogenase Complex