Characterization of citrus pectin samples extracted under different conditions: influence of acid type and pH of extraction

Background and Aims

Pectin is a complex macromolecule, the fine structure of which is influenced by many factors. It is used as a gelling, thickening and emulsifying agent in a wide range of applications, from food to pharmaceutical products. Current industrial pectin extraction processes are based on fruit peel, a waste product from the juicing industry, in which thousands of tons of citrus are processed worldwide every year. This study examines how pectin components vary in relation to the plant source (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit) and considers the influence of extraction conditions on the chemical and macromolecular characteristics of pectin samples.

Methods

Citrus peel (orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit) from a commercial supplier was used as raw material. Pectin samples were obtained on a bulk plant scale (kilograms; harsh nitric acid, mild nitric acid and harsh oxalic acid extraction) and on a laboratory scale (grams; mild oxalic acid extraction). Pectin composition (acidic and neutral sugars) and physicochemical properties (molar mass and intrinsic viscosity) were determined.

Key Results

Oxalic acid extraction allowed the recovery of pectin samples of high molecular weight. Mild oxalic acid-extracted pectins were rich in long homogalacturonan stretches and contained rhamnogalacturonan I stretches with conserved side chains. Nitric acid-extracted pectins exhibited lower molecular weights and contained rhamnogalacturonan I stretches encompassing few and/or short side chains. Grapefruit pectin was found to have short side chains compared with orange, lime and lemon. Orange and grapefruit pectin samples were both particularly rich in rhamnogalacturonan I backbones.

Conclusions

Structural, and hence macromolecular, variations within the different citrus pectin samples were mainly related to their rhamnogalacturonan I contents and integrity, and, to a lesser extent, to the length of their homogalacturonan domains.     

The cell wall pectic polymer rhamnogalacturonan-II is required for proper pollen tube elongation: implications of a putative sialyltransferase-like protein

Background and Aims

Rhamnogalacturonan-II (RG-II) is one of the pectin motifs found in the cell wall of all land plants. It contains sugars such as 2-keto-3-deoxy-d-lyxo-heptulosaric acid (Dha) and 2-keto-3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonic acid (Kdo), and within the wall RG-II is mostly found as a dimer via a borate diester cross-link. To date, little is known regarding the biosynthesis of this motif. Here, after a brief review of our current knowledge on RG-II structure, biosynthesis and function in plants, this study explores the implications of the presence of a Golgi-localized sialyltransferase-like 2 (SIA2) protein that is possibly involved in the transfer of Dha or Kdo in the RG-II of Arabidopsis thaliana pollen tubes, a fast-growing cell type used as a model for the study of cell elongation.

Methods

Two heterozygous mutant lines of arabidopsis (sia2-1+/– and qrt1 × sia2-2+/–) were investigated. sia2-2+/– was in a quartet1 background and the inserted T-DNA contained the reporter gene β-glucuronidase (GUS) under the pollen-specific promoter LAT52. Pollen germination and pollen tube phenotype and growth were analysed both in vitro and in vivo by microscopy.

Key Results

Self-pollination of heterozygous lines produced no homozygous plants in the progeny, which may suggest that the mutation could be lethal. Heterozygous mutants displayed a much lower germination rate overall and exhibited a substantial delay in germination (20 h of delay to reach 30 % of pollen grain germination compared with the wild type). In both lines, mutant pollen grains that were able to produce a tube had tubes that were either bursting, abnormal (swollen or dichotomous branching tip) or much shorter compared with wild-type pollen tubes. In vivo, mutant pollen tubes were restricted to the style, whereas the wild-type pollen tubes were detected at the base of the ovary.

Conclusions

This study highlights that the mutation in arabidopsis SIA2 encoding a sialyltransferase-like protein that may transfer Dha or Kdo on the RG-II motif has a dramatic effect on the stability of the pollen tube cell wall.     

Spatial regulation of cell-wall structure in response to heavy metal stress: cadmium-induced alteration of the methyl-esterification pattern of homogalacturonans

Background and Aims

In flax hypocotyls, cadmium-induced reorientation of growth coincides with marked changes in homogalacturonan (HGA) epitopes that were recognized by JIM7 and JIM5 antibodies in the external tangential wall of the epidermis. In the present study, LM7 and 2F4 monoclonal antibodies were used, in addition to JIM5 and JIM7, to extend the investigation on the methyl-esterification pattern of HGA within various domains of the cortical tissues, including the cortical parenchyma where cell cohesion is crucial.

Methods

The PATAg (periodic acid thiocarbohydrazide–silver proteinate) test was applied to ultrathin sections so that the polysaccharides could be visualized and the ultrastructure studied. The monoclonal LM7, JIM5 and JIM7 antibodies that recognize differently methyl-esterified HGA were used. The monoclonal 2F4 antibody that is specific to a particular polygalacturonic acid conformation induced by a given calcium to sodium ratio was also applied. After immunogold labelling, the grids were stained with uranyl-acetate, the samples were observed using a transmission electron microscope and the gold particles were counted.

Key Results

In the presence of cadmium, the increase of LM7 labelling in external tangential wall of the epidermis, together with a decrease of JIM7 labelling, suggested a specific role for randomly partially de-esterified HGA to counteract the radial swelling stress. Enhanced JIM5 and 2F4 labelling in the junctions of the inner tissues indicated that the presence of blockwise de-esterified HGA might oppose cell separation.

Conclusions

The response of the hypocotyl to cadmium stress was to adapt the structure of the wall of cortical tissues by differently modulating the methyl-esterification pattern of HGA in various domains.     

Genotypic differences in Al resistance and the role of cell-wall pectin in Al exclusion from the root apex in Fagopyrum tataricum

Background and Aims

Aluminium (Al) toxicity is one of the factors limiting crop production on acid soils. However, genotypic differences exist among plant species or cultivars in response to Al toxicity. This study aims to investigate genotypic differences among eight cultivars of tatary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) for Al resistance and explore the possible mechanisms of Al resistance.

Methods

Al resistance was evaluated based on relative root elongation (root elongation with Al/root elongation without Al). Root apex Al content, pectin content and exudation of root organic acids were determined and compared.

Key Results

Genotypic differences among the eight cultivars were correlated with exclusion of Al from the root apex. However, there was a lack of correlation between Al exclusion and Al-induced oxalate secretion. Interestingly, cell-wall pectin content of the root apex was generally lower in Al-resistant cultivars than in Al-sensitive cultivars. Although we were unable to establish a significant correlation between Al exclusion and pectin content among the eight cultivars, a strong correlation could be established among six cultivars, in which the pectin content in the most Al-resistant cultivar ‘Chuan’ was significantly lower than that in the most Al-sensitive cultivar ‘Liuku2’. Furthermore, root apex cell-wall pectin methylesterase activity (PME) was similar in ‘Chuan’ and ‘Liuku2’ in the absence of Al, but Al treatment resulted in increased PME activity in ‘Liuku2’ compared with ‘Chuan’. Immunolocalization of pectins also showed that the two cultivars had similar amounts of either low-methyl-ester pectins or high-methyl-ester pectins in the absence of Al, but Al treatment resulted in a more significant increase of low-methyl-ester pectins and decrease of high-methyl-ester pectins in ‘Liuku2’.

Conclusions

Cell-wall pectin content may contribute, at least in part, to differential Al resistance among tatary buckwheat cultivars.     

The inactivation of pectin depolymerase associated with isolated tomato fruit cell wall: implications for the analysis of pectin solubility and molecular weight

An approach commonly employed to assess the potential role of the enzyme polygalacturonase (PG, EC 3.2.1.15) in tomato fruit cell-wall pectin metabolism includes correlating levels of extractable PG with changes in specific characteristics of cell wall pectins, most notably solubility and molecular weight. Since information on these features of pectins is generally derived from analyses of subfractions of isolated cell wall, assurance of inactivation of the various isoforms of wall-associated PG is imperative. In the present study, cell wall prepared from ripe tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Rutgers) fruit was examined for the presence of active PG and for the ability of phenolic solvents to inactivate the enzyme. Using pectin solubility and M_r (relative molecular mass) changes as criteria for the presence of wall-associated PG activity, pectins from phenol-treated and nonphenol-treated (enzymically active) cell wall from ripe fruit incubated in 50 mM Na-acetate, 50 mM cyclohexanetrans-1,2-diamine tetraacetic acid (CDTA), pH 6.5 (outside the catalytic range of PG), were of similar M_r and exhibited no change in size with incubation time. Wall prepared without exposure to the phenolic protein-denaturants exhibited extensive pectin solubilization and depolymerization when incubated in 50 mM Na-acetate, 50 mM CDTA at pH 4.5, indicating the presence of active PG. Based on the changes in the M_r of pectins solubilized in 50 mM Na-acetate, 50 mM CDTA, pH 4.5, active PG was also detected in wall exposed during isolation to phenolacetic acid-water (PAW, 2:1:1, w/v/v), a solvent commonly employed as an enzyme denaturant. Although the depolymerization of pectins in PAW-treated wall was extensive, oligouronides constituted minor reaction products. Interestingly, PAW-treated wall did not exhibit PG-mediated pectin release when incubated under conditions (30 mM Na-acetate, 150 mM NaCl, pH 4.5) in which nonphenol-treated cell wall exhibited high autolytic activity. In an alternative protocol designed to inactivate PG, cell wall was exposed to Tris-buffered phenol (BP). In contrast to pectins released from PAW-treated wall, pectins solubilized from BP-treated wall at pH 4.5 were indistinguishable in M_r from those recovered from BP-treated wall at pH 6.5 Even when incubated at pH 4.5 at 34°C, conditions under which pectins from PAW-treated wall underwent more rapid and extensive depolymerization, pectins from BP-treated wall exhibited no change in M_r, providing evidence that active PG was not present in these wall preparations. The implications of this study in interpreting the solubility and M_r of pectin in cell wall from ripening fruit are discussed.     

An efficient method for transient gene expression in monocots applied to modify the Brachypodium distachyon cell wall

Background

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is widely used to produce insertions into plant genomes. There are a number of well-developed Agrobacterium-mediated transformation methods for dicotyledonous plants, but there are few for monocotyledonous plants.

Methods

Three hydrolase genes were transiently expressed in Brachypodium distachyon plants using specially designed vectors that express the gene product of interest and target it to the plant cell wall. Expression of functional hydrolases in genotyped plants was confirmed using western blotting, activity assays, cell wall compositional analysis and digestibility tests.

Key Results

An efficient, new, Agrobacterium-mediated approach was developed for transient gene expression in the grass B. distachyon, using co-cultivation of mature seeds with bacterial cells. This method allows transformed tissues to be obtained rapidly, within 3–4 weeks after co-cultivation. Also, the plants carried transgenic tissue and maintained transgenic protein expression throughout plant maturation. The efficiency of transformation was estimated at around 5 % of initially co-cultivated seeds. Application of this approach to express three Aspergillus nidulans hydrolases in the Brachypodium cell wall successfully confirmed its utility and resulted in the expected expression of active microbial proteins and alterations of cell wall composition. Cell wall modifications caused by expression of A. nidulans α-arabinofuranosidase and α-galactosidase increased the biodegradability of plant biomass.

Conclusions

This newly developed approach is a quick and efficient technique for expressing genes of interest in Brachypodium plants, which express the gene product throughout development. In the future, this could be used for broad functional genomics studies of monocots and for biotechnological applications, such as plant biomass modification for biofuel production.     

Ultrastructure and chemistry of the cell wall of the moss Rhacocarpus purpurascens (Rhacocarpaceae): a puzzling architecture among plants

The architectural, compositional and functional characteristics of the cell walls of the leaves of the moss Rhacocarpus purpurascens (Brid.) Par. have been analysed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, wall-extraction methods, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and water-retention experiments. Four-layered cell walls with a peculiar architecture which, so far, appears to be unique among plants were apparent. The architecture of the walls was not affected by sequential wall-extraction procedures. Subsequent analysis of the residual pre-extracted walls by classical spectro-photometrical methods revealed that the walls are composed of mainly lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose in a ratio of about 9:8:5, determining their integrity. This was supported by NMR spectroscopy. The resonance spectrum showed various characteristics typical of lignin; however, some specific peaks associated with lignin were missing. The walls exhibited no particular properties for external water conduction but seem to be adapted to rapid absorption of fog, dew, or rain. Received: 3 June 1997 / Accepted: 25 February 1998     

Bacterial cell wall composition and the influence of antibiotics by cell-wall and whole-cell NMR

The ability to characterize bacterial cell-wall composition and structure iscrucial to understanding the function of the bacterial cell wall, determiningdrug modes of action and developing new-generation therapeutics. Solid-state NMRhas emerged as a powerful tool to quantify chemical composition and to mapcell-wall architecture in bacteria and plants, even in the context ofunperturbed intact whole cells. In this review, we discuss solid-state NMRapproaches to define peptidoglycan composition and to characterize the modes ofaction of old and new antibiotics, focusing on examples inStaphylococcus aureus. We provide perspectives regardingthe selected NMR strategies as we describe the exciting and still-developingcell-wall and whole-cell NMR toolkit. We also discuss specific discoveriesregarding the modes of action of vancomycin analogues, including oritavancin,and briefly address the reconsideration of the killing action of β-lactamantibiotics. In such chemical genetics approaches, there is still much to belearned from perturbations enacted by cell-wall assembly inhibitors, andsolid-state NMR approaches are poised to address questions of cell-wallcomposition and assembly in S. aureus and other organisms.     

Plant and algal cell walls: diversity and functionality

Background

Although plants and many algae (e.g. the Phaeophyceae, brown, and Rhodophyceae, red) are only very distantly related they are united in their possession of carbohydrate-rich cell walls, which are of integral importance being involved in many physiological processes. Furthermore, wall components have applications within food, fuel, pharmaceuticals, fibres (e.g. for textiles and paper) and building materials and have long been an active topic of research. As shown in the 27 papers in this Special Issue, as the major deposit of photosynthetically fixed carbon, and therefore energy investment, cell walls are of undisputed importance to the organisms that possess them, the photosynthetic eukaryotes (plants and algae). The complexities of cell wall components along with their interactions with the biotic and abiotic environment are becoming increasingly revealed.

Scope

The importance of plant and algal cell walls and their individual components to the function and survival of the organism, and for a number of industrial applications, are illustrated by the breadth of topics covered in this issue, which includes papers concentrating on various plants and algae, developmental stages, organs, cell wall components, and techniques. Although we acknowledge that there are many alternative ways in which the papers could be categorized (and many would fit within several topics), we have organized them as follows: (1) cell wall biosynthesis and remodelling, (2) cell wall diversity, and (3) application of new technologies to cell walls. Finally, we will consider future directions within plant cell wall research. Expansion of the industrial uses of cell walls and potentially novel uses of cell wall components are both avenues likely to direct future research activities. Fundamentally, it is the continued progression from characterization (structure, metabolism, properties and localization) of individual cell wall components through to defining their roles in almost every aspect of plant and algal physiology that will present many of the major challenges in future cell wall research.     

Ultrastructure of fibre and parenchyma cell walls during early stages of culm development in Dendrocalamus asper

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The anatomy of bamboo culms and the multilayered structure of fibre cell walls are known to be the main determinant factors for its physical and mechanical properties. Studies on the bamboo cell wall have focussed mainly on fully elongated and mature fibres. The main aim of this study was to describe the ultrastructure of primary and secondary cell walls in culm tissues of Dendrocalamus asper at different stages of development. METHODS: The development of fibre and parenchyma tissues was classified into four stages based on light microscopy observations made in tissues from juvenile plants. The stages were used as a basis for transmission electron microscopy study on the ultrastructure of the cell wall during the process of primary and early secondary cell wall formation. Macerations and phloroglucinol-HCl staining were employed to investigate fibre cell elongation and fibre cell wall lignification, respectively. KEY RESULTS: The observations indicated that the primary wall is formed by the deposition of two distinct layers during the elongation of the internode and that secondary wall synthesis may begin before the complete cessation of internode and fibre elongation. Elongation was followed by a maturation phase characterized by the deposition of multiple secondary wall layers, which varied in number according to the cell type, location in the culm tissue and stage of shoot development. Lignification of fibre cell walls started at the period prior to the cessation of internode elongation. CONCLUSIONS: The structure of the primary cell wall was comprised of two layers. The fibre secondary cell wall began to be laid down while the cells were still undergoing some elongation, suggesting that it may act to cause the slow-down and eventual cessation of cell elongation.     

Recovery and fine structure variability of RGII sub-domains in wine (Vitis vinifera Merlot)

Background and Aims

Rhamnogalacturonan II (RGII) is a structurally complex pectic sub-domain composed of more than 12 different sugars and 20 different linkages distributed in five side chains along a homogalacturonan backbone. Although RGII has long been described as highly conserved over plant evolution, recent studies have revealed variations in the structure of the polysaccharide. This study examines the fine structure variability of RGII in wine, focusing on the side chains A and B obtained after sequential mild acid hydrolysis. Specifically, this study aims to differentiate intrinsic structural variations in these RGII side chains from structural variations due to acid hydrolysis.

Methods

RGII from wine (Vitis vinifera Merlot) was sequentially hydrolysed with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and the hydrolysis products were separated by anion-exchange chromatography (AEC). AEC fractions or total hydrolysates were analysed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

Key Results

The optimal conditions to recover non-degraded side chain B, side chain A and RGII backbone were 0·1 m TFA at 40 °C for 16 h, 0·48 m TFA at 40 °C for 16 h (or 0·1 m TFA at 60 °C for 8 h) and 0·1 m TFA at 60 °C for 16 h, respectively. Side chain B was particularly prone to acid degradation. Side chain A and the RGII GalA backbone were partly degraded by 0·1 m TFA at 80 °C for 1–4 h. AEC allowed separation of side chain B, methyl-esterified side chain A and non-methyl-esterified side chain A. The structure of side chain A and the GalA backbone were highly variable.

Conclusions

Several modifications to the RGII structure of wine were identified. The observed dearabinosylation and deacetylation were primarily the consequence of acidic treatment, while variation in methyl-esterification, methyl-ether linkages and oxidation reflect natural diversity. The physiological significance of this variability, however, remains to be determined.     

Lignification and cell wall thickening in nodes of Phyllostachys viridiglaucescens and Phyllostachys nigra

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Bamboos are among the most important plants in the world. The anatomical structure and mechanical properties of the culm internode are well documented. Fewer details are available of the culm node. The aim of this study was a topochemical investigation on lignification and cell wall thickening in developing and maturing bamboo nodes. The deposition sequence and distribution of lignin structural units and cell wall thickening in different anatomical regions of the node of Phyllostachys viridiglaucescens and Phyllostachys nigra are discussed. METHODS: Cell wall thickening and lignification are investigated in the outer part of the nodal region and in the diaphragm of developing and maturing P. nigra culms and in maturing culms of P. viridiglaucescens of different age classes. The lignification during ageing was studied topochemically by means of cellular UV microspectrophotometry. A combination of light microscopy and image analysis techniques were used to measure cell wall thickness. KEY RESULTS: The fibre and parenchyma cell wall thickness does not significantly increase during ageing. In the diaphragm, the cell walls are thinner and the cell diameter is larger than in the outer part of the node. In shoots, the lignin content in the epidermis, hypodermis and in both fibre and parenchyma cells of the diaphragm is relatively low compared with older culms. The fibre and parenchyma cells of the diaphragm have higher values of p-coumaric and ferulic acids than fibre and parenchyma cells of the outer part of the node. CONCLUSIONS: It was hypothesized that the combination of more hydroxycinnamic acids and of thinner cell walls in combination with higher cell diameters (lower density and lower stiffness) in the diaphragm than in the outer part of the node may play an important role in the biomechanical function of the node by acting as a spring-like joint to support the culm by bending forces.     

The distribution of cell wall polymers during antheridium development and spermatogenesis in the Charophycean green alga, Chara corallina

Background and Aims

The production of multicellular gametangia in green plants represents an early evolutionary development that is found today in all land plants and advanced clades of the Charophycean green algae. The processing of cell walls is an integral part of this morphogenesis yet very little is known about cell wall dynamics in early-divergent green plants such as the Charophycean green algae. This study represents a comprehensive analysis of antheridium development and spermatogenesis in the green alga, Chara corallina.

Methods

Microarrays of cell wall components and immunocytochemical methods were employed in order to analyse cell wall macromolecules during antheridium development.

Key Results

Cellulose and pectic homogalacturonan epitopes were detected throughout all cell types of the developing antheridium including the unique cell wall protuberances of the shield cells and the cell walls of sperm cell initials. Arabinogalactan protein epitopes were distributed only in the epidermal shield cell layers and anti-xyloglucan antibody binding was only observed in the capitulum region that initially yields the sperm filaments. During the terminal stage of sperm development, no cell wall polymers recognized by the probes employed were found on the scale-covered sperm cells.

Conclusions

Antheridium development in C. corallina is a rapid event that includes the production of cell walls that contain polymers similar to those found in land plants. While pectic and cellulosic epitopes are ubiquitous in the antheridium, the distribution of arabinogalactan protein and xyloglucan epitopes is restricted to specific zones. Spermatogenesis also includes a major switch in the production of extracellular matrix macromolecules from cell walls to scales, the latter being a primitive extracellular matrix characteristic of green plants.     

Plant material features responsible for bamboo's excellent mechanical performance: a comparison of tensile properties of bamboo and spruce at the tissue,fibre and cell wall levels

MethodsThe mechanical properties of single fibres and tissue slices of stems of mature moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) and spruce (Picea abies) latewood were investigated in microtensile tests. Cell parameters, cellulose microfibril angles and chemical composition were determined using light and electron microscopy, wide-angle X-ray scattering and confocal Raman microscopy.ConclusionsThe superior tensile properties of bamboo fibres and fibre bundles are mainly a result of amplified cell wall formation, leading to a densely packed tissue, rather than being based on specific cell wall properties. The material optimization towards extremely compact fibres with a multi-lamellar cell wall in bamboo might be a result of a plant growth strategy that compensates for the lack of secondary thickening growth at the tissue level, which is not only favourable for the biomechanics of the plant but is also increasingly utilized in terms of engineering products made from bamboo culms.     

Cortical microtubule patterning in roots of Arabidopsis thaliana primary cell wall mutants reveals the bidirectional interplay with cell expansion

Cell elongation requires directional deposition of cellulose microfibrils regulated by transverse cortical microtubules. Microtubules respond differentially to suppression of cell elongation along the developmental zones of Arabidopsis thaliana root apex. Cortical microtubule orientation is particularly affected in the fast elongation zone but not in the meristematic or transition zones of thanatos and pom2–4 cellulose-deficient mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we report that a uniform phenotype is established among the primary cell wall mutants, as cortical microtubules of root epidermal cells of rsw1 and prc1 mutants exhibit the same pattern described in thanatos and pom2–4. Whether cortical microtubules assume transverse orientation or not is determined by the demand for cellulose synthesis, according to each root zone''s expansion rate. It is suggested that cessation of cell expansion may provide a biophysical signal resulting in microtubule reorientation.     

A glucanase-driven fractionation allows redefinition of Schizosaccharomyces pombe cell wall composition and structure: assignment of diglucan

Purified endoglucanases have been used to determine the composition of Schizosaccharomyces pombe cell wall. This structure has been traditionally studied after isolating its components (mannoproteins, alpha1,3-glucan, beta1,3-glucan, and a branched beta-glucan) with hot alkali. Instead, we sequentially removed the polysaccharides by digesting with endo-beta1,3-glucanase and with a novel endo-alpha1,3-glucanase (mutanase). After this gentle isolation we observed that a branched beta1,3-beta1,6-glucan is much more abundant than previously described. By scaling-up the new protocol we prepared large amounts of the highly branched glucan and determined its structural features. We have named this highly branched beta-glucan diglucan, reflecting its two types of beta linkages. We have also identified an insoluble endoglucanase-resistant type of 1,3-linked glucan present in S. pombe cell walls. We redefined the wall composition of S. pombe vegetative cells by this new method. Finally, to demonstrate its application, we determined the cell wall composition of known mutant strains.     

Chemical and enzymatic fractionation of cell walls from Fucales: insights into the structure of the extracellular matrix of brown algae

Background and Aims

Brown algae are photosynthetic multicellular marine organisms evolutionarily distant from land plants, with a distinctive cell wall. They feature carbohydrates shared with plants (cellulose), animals (fucose-containing sulfated polysaccharides, FCSPs) or bacteria (alginates). How these components are organized into a three-dimensional extracellular matrix (ECM) still remains unclear. Recent molecular analysis of the corresponding biosynthetic routes points toward a complex evolutionary history that shaped the ECM structure in brown algae.

Methods

Exhaustive sequential extractions and composition analyses of cell wall material from various brown algae of the order Fucales were performed. Dedicated enzymatic degradations were used to release and identify cell wall partners. This approach was complemented by systematic chromatographic analysis to study polymer interlinks further. An additional structural assessment of the sulfated fucan extracted from Himanthalia elongata was made.

Key Results

The data indicate that FCSPs are tightly associated with proteins and cellulose within the walls. Alginates are associated with most phenolic compounds. The sulfated fucans from H. elongata were shown to have a regular α-(1→3) backbone structure, while an alternating α-(1→3), (1→4) structure has been described in some brown algae from the order Fucales.

Conclusions

The data provide a global snapshot of the cell wall architecture in brown algae, and contribute to the understanding of the structure–function relationships of the main cell wall components. Enzymatic cross-linking of alginates by phenols may regulate the strengthening of the wall, and sulfated polysaccharides may play a key role in the adaptation to osmotic stress. The emergence and evolution of ECM components is further discussed in relation to the evolution of multicellularity in brown algae.     

Variation and evolution of herkogamy in Exochaenium (Gentianaceae): implications for the evolution of distyly

Backgrounds and Aims

The spatial separation of stigmas and anthers (herkogamy) in flowering plants functions to reduce self-pollination and avoid interference between pollen dispersal and receipt. Little is known about the evolutionary relationships among the three main forms of herkogamy – approach, reverse and reciprocal herkogamy (distyly) – or about transitions to and from a non-herkogamous condition. This problem was examined in Exochaenium (Gentianaceae), a genus of African herbs that exhibits considerable variation in floral morphology, including the three forms of herkogamy.

Methods

Using maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood methods, the evolutionary history of herkogamic and non-herkogamic conditions was reconstructed from a molecular phylogeny of 15 species of Exochaenium and four outgroup taxa, based on three chloroplast regions, the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS1 and 2) and the 5·8S gene. Ancestral character states were determined and the reconstructions were used to evaluate competing models for the origin of reciprocal herkogamy.

Key results

Reciprocal herkogamy originated once in Exochaenium from an ancestor with approach herkogamy. Reverse herkogamy and the non-herkogamic condition homostyly were derived from heterostyly. Distylous species possessed pendent, slightly zygomorphic flowers, and the single transition to reverse herkogamy was associated with the hawkmoth pollination syndrome. Reductions in flower size characterized three of four independent transitions from reciprocal herkogamy to homostyly.

Conclusions

The results support Lloyd and Webb''s model in which distyly originated from an ancestor with approach herkogamy. They also demonstrate the lability of sex organ deployment and implicate pollinators, or their absence, as playing an important role in driving transitions among herkogamic and non-herkogamic conditions.     

Expression of parasite genetic variation changes over the course of infection: implications of within-host dynamics for the evolution of virulence

How infectious disease agents interact with their host changes during the course of infection and can alter the expression of disease-related traits. Yet by measuring parasite life-history traits at one or few moments during infection, studies have overlooked the impact of variable parasite growth trajectories on disease evolution. Here we show that infection-age-specific estimates of host and parasite fitness components can reveal new insight into the evolution of parasites. We do so by characterizing the within-host dynamics over an entire infection period for five genotypes of the castrating bacterial parasite Pasteuria ramosa infecting the crustacean Daphnia magna. Our results reveal that genetic variation for parasite-induced gigantism, host castration and parasite spore loads increases with the age of infection. Driving these patterns appears to be variation in how well the parasite maintains control of host reproduction late in the infection process. We discuss the evolutionary consequences of this finding with regard to natural selection acting on different ages of infection and the mechanism underlying the maintenance of castration efficiency. Our results highlight how elucidating within-host dynamics can shed light on the selective forces that shape infection strategies and the evolution of virulence.