Michigan State University
CONTRACT AND GRANT ADMINISTRATIO
EAST LANSING, MI 48824 517/355-5040
NSF Program(s):
PLANT GENOME RESEARCH RESOURCE, PLANT GENOME RESEARCH PROJECT
Field Application(s):
Program Reference Code(s):
BIOT, 9109, 7577, 1228
Program Element Code(s):
7577, 1329
ABSTRACT
Plant cell walls play crucial roles in the development of plants, their resistance to diseases, and communication between cells. A fundamental understanding of cell wall biosynthesis has potential practical applications, including the development of crops plants better able to fend off pathogens and of plants that provide enhanced nutritional attributes or new polymer products for various industrial uses. This project is aimed at understanding how hemicellulosic polysaccharides, a particular class of polymers found in plant cell walls, are synthesized. Cell wall biosynthesis requires hundreds of enzymes, but only a few of these proteins and the genes that encode them have been identified and characterized. Through strategies employing the tools of genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics, the principal investigators will identify candidate genes involved in the synthesis of plant cell walls and evaluate their function. The studies will be conducted in three plant systems: cotton fiber cells during a period of development in which large quantities of primary cell wall components are manufactured; developing nasturtium seeds that store large quantities of xyloglucan, a major cell wall component; and rice tissues undergoing rapid growth. Rice is chosen as one of the plant systems because the recent completion of the rice genome sequence will aid in matching the proteins linked to cell wall biosynthesis with their respective gene sequences. The principal investigators expect to identify genes involved in many aspects of cell wall biosynthesis and will make their results and resources freely available to researchers in the plant biology community. The project will provide valuable training for undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral research associates. It will also provide summer laboratory experiences for underrepresented students.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
Aaron Liepman, C. Joseph Nairn, William Willats, I Sorenson Allison W Roberts, Kenneth Keegstra. "Functional genomic analysis supports conservation of function among CslA gene family members and suggests diverse roles of manans in plants," Plant Physiology, v.143, 2007, p. 1881.
Cavalier, DM; Lerouxel, O; Neumetzler, L; Yamauchi, K; Reinecke, A; Freshour, G; Zabotina, OA; Hahn, MG; Burgert, I; Pauly, M; Raikhel, NV; Keegstra, K. "Disrupting two Arabidopsis thaliana xylosyltransferase genes results in plants deficient in xyloglucan, a major primary cell wall component," PLANT CELL, v.20, 2008, p. 1519-1537.
Cocuron J-C, Lerouxel O, Drakakaki G, Alonso AP, Liepman AH, Keegstra K, Raikhel R, Wilkerson CG. "A gene from the cellulose synthase-like C family encodes a beta-1,4-glucan synthase," Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, v.104, 2007, p. 8550.
David Cavalier and Kenneth Keegstra. "Two xyloglucan xylosyltransferases catalyze the addition of multiple xylosyl residue to cellohexaose," J Biol Chem, v.281, 2006, p. 34197.
Faure R, Cavalier D, Keegstra K, Cottaz S, Drigues H. "Glycosynthase-assisted synthesis of xylo-gluco-oligosaccharide probes for alpha-xylosyltransferases," European Journal of Organic Chemistry, v.2007, 2007, p. 4313.
Georgia Drakakaki, Olga Zabotina, Ivan Delgado, Stephanie Robert, Kenneth Keegstra, and Natasha Raikhel. "Arabidopsis Reversibly Glcosylated Peptides 1 and 2 are essential for pollen development," Plant Physiology, v.142, 2006, p. 1480.
Girke T, Lauricha J, Tran H, Keegstra K, Raikhel N.. "The Cell Wall Navigator database. A systems-based approach to organism-unrestricted mining of protein families involved in cell wall metabolism.," Plant Physiology, v.136, 2004, p. 3003.
Harrie van Erp, Jonathan D. Walton. "Regulation of the cellulose synthase-like gene family by light in the maize mesocotyl," Planta, v.229, 2009, p. 885.
Kenneth Keegstra, Jonathan Walton. "Beta Glucans-Brewer's Bane, Dietician's Delight," Science, v.311, 2006, p. 1872.
Lerouxel O, Cavalier DM, Liepman AH, Keegstra. "Biosynthesis of plant cell wall polysaccharides-a complex process," Current Opinion in Plant Biology, v.9, 2006, p. 621.
Liepman AH, Wilkerson CG, Keegstra K. "Expression of cellulose synthase-like (Csl) genes in insect cells reveals that CslA family members encode mannan synthases.," Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, v.102, 2005, p. 2221.
Wen, FS; Celoy, RM; Nguyen, T; Zeng, WQ; Keegstra, K; Immerzeel, P; Pauly, M; Hawes, MC. "Inducible expression of Pisum sativum xyloglucan fucosyltransferase in the pea root cap meristem, and effects of antisense mRNA expression on root cap cell wall structural integrity," PLANT CELL REPORTS, v.27, 2008, p. 1125-1135.
Zabotina, OA; van de Ven, WTG; Freshour, G; Drakakaki, G; Cavalier, D; Mouille, G; Hahn, MG; Keegstra, K; Raikhel, NV. "Arabidopsis XXT5 gene encodes a putative alpha-1,6-xylosyltransferase that is involved in xyloglucan biosynthesis," PLANT JOURNAL, v.56, 2008, p. 101-115.
Zeng, WQ; Keegstra, K. "AtCSLD2 is an integral Golgi membrane protein with its N-terminus facing the cytosol," PLANTA, v.228, 2008, p. 823-838.
