title: Suppression of PtrDUF579-3 Expression Causes Structural Changes of the Glucuronoxylan in Populus.
abstract: DUF579 (domain unknown function 579) genes have been reported to play diverse roles in cell wall biosynthesis, such as in glucuronoxylan (GX) synthesis. As GX is a major type of hemicelluloses in hard wood species, how DUF579 genes function in wood formation remains to be demonstrated in planta. This study reports a Populus DUF579 gene, PtrDUF579-3, which is characterized for its function in wood cell wall formation. PtrDUF579-3 is localized in Golgi apparatus and catalyzes methylation of the glucuronic acid (GlcA) in GX biosynthesis. Suppression of PtrDUF579-3 expression in Populus caused a reduction in both the GlcA side chain number and GlcA side chain methylation on the GX backbone. The modified GX polymer through PtrDUF579-3 suppression was more susceptible to acid treatment and the PtrDUF579-3 suppressed plants displayed enhanced cellulose digestibility. These results suggest that PtrDUF579-3 is involved in GX biosynthesis and GX structure can be modified through PtrDUF579-3 suppression in Populus.
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology - Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Dongliang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology - Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jinshan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gui
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology - Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Chenchen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology - Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jiayan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology - Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Laigeng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: DUF579; Populus; glucuronic acid methyltransferases; glucuronoxylan; wood engineering