title: Decreased Polysaccharide Feruloylation Compromises Plant Cell Wall Integrity and Increases Susceptibility to Necrotrophic Fungal Pathogens.
abstract: The complexity of cell wall composition and structure determines the strength, flexibility, and function of the primary cell wall in plants. However, the contribution of the various components to cell wall integrity (CWI) and function remains unclear. Modifications of cell wall composition can induce plant responses known as CWI control. In this study, we used transgenic expression of the fungal feruloyl esterase AnFAE to examine the effect of post-synthetic modification of Arabidopsis and Brachypodium cell walls. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing AnFAE showed a significant reduction of monomeric ferulic acid, decreased amounts of wall-associated extensins, and increased susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea, compared with wild type. Transgenic Brachypodium showed reductions in monomeric and dimeric ferulic acids and increased susceptibility to Bipolaris sorokiniana. Upon infection, transgenic Arabidopsis and Brachypodium plants also showed increased expression of several defense-related genes compared with wild type. These results demonstrate a role, in both monocot and dicot plants, of polysaccharide feruloylation in plant CWI, which contributes to plant resistance to necrotrophic pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysiscs and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA USA.
authors.forename: Nathan T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Reem
authors.affiliation: Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysiscs and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA USA.
authors.forename: Gennady
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pogorelko
authors.affiliation: Dipartmento di Biologia e Biotechnologie "Charles Darwin," Sapienza Universita di Roma, Rome Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lionetti
authors.affiliation: Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysiscs and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA USA.
authors.forename: Lauran
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ohio University, Athens, OH USA.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Held
authors.affiliation: Dipartmento di Biologia e Biotechnologie "Charles Darwin," Sapienza Universita di Roma, Rome Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bellincampi
authors.affiliation: Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysiscs and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA USA.
authors.forename: Olga A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Zabotina
keywords: Arabidopsis thaliana; Brachypodium distachyon; cell wall integrity; ferulic acid; plant pathogen resistance