Kinetics of Integration of Xyloglucan into the Walls of Suspension-Cultured Rose Cells

To study the kinetics of synthesis, wall-binding and degradationof xyloglucan, we incubated suspension-cultured rose cells for0–5–24 h in L-[1-³H]arabinose. >95% of the [³H]arabinosewas taken up within 2 h. UDP-Pentoses were maximally labelledwithin 0–5 h and had lost most of their ³H by 2 h afterthe addition of [³H]arabinose. Therefore, the 24 h experimentresembled a pulse-chase rgime. The [³H]xyloglucan formed wasfractionated into four cellular pools [detergent-extractable(interpreted as cytoplasmic), and guanidinium thiocyanate-,06 M NaOH- and 60 M NaOH-extractable (interpreted as progressivelymore firmly wall-bound)]; soluble extracellular xyloglucan wascollected as a fifth pool. All five pools of xyloglucan hadstarted accumulating ³H at their respective maximal rates by     

Xyloglucan and r{beta}-D-Glucan in Cell Walls of Rice Seedlings

Cell walls of 4-day old rice seedlings were extracted successivelywith ammonium oxalate-oxalic acid, 4% KOH and 24% KOH. A rß-D-glucanpreparation and a xyloglucan preparation were isolated fromthe 4% KOH extract and 24% KOH extract, respectively. Methylationanalysis and enzymic degradation studies of the polysaccharidesshowed that the former was built up predominantly of repeating-oligosaccharideunits of 3-O-rß-cellobiosyl-D-glucose and 3-O-rß-cellotriosyl-D-glucosein a molar ratio of 2.6 : 1.0, and the latter was of repeating-oligosaccharideunits of -D-xylosyl-(16)-rß-D-glucosyl-(14)-[-D-xylosyl-(16)]-rß-D-glucosyl-(14)-D-glucose,-D-xylosyl-(16)-rß-D-glucosyl-(14)-D-glucose and cellobiose. ¹ Present address: Department of Botany, Iowa State University,Ames, Iowa 50011, U.S.A. (Received August 29, 1981; Accepted January 12, 1982)     

Involvement of Phenolic Esters in Cell Aggregation of Suspension-Cultured Rice Cells

Fluorescence microscopy of rice (Oryza sativa L.) callus sections showed that all of the walls fluoresced blue in water (pH 5.8) and green in ammonia (pH 10.0), both characteristics of feruloyl esters. Such fluorescence in the walls of cells cultured in Gamborg's B5 medium was much stronger than that in amino acid (AA) medium. Laser scanning microscopy showed that the level of fluorescence was higher in the intercellular layer, especially at corner junctions between cells, suggesting that ferulic acid ester derivatives are located in the middle lamella as well as in the wall. Extracellular polysaccharides appearing during cultivation in AA medium were more highly feruloylated than those in B5 medium during cultivation. Both the levels of ferulic and diferulic acid and the relative proportion of diferulic acid in the walls of cells increased on transfer of the cells cultured in AA medium to B5 medium. The walls of cells cultured in B5 medium maintained constant levels and proportions of the phenolic acids. Removal of phenolic acids from wall preparations by carboxylesterase facilitated the solubilization of noncellulosic polysaccharides. Treatment of the cell aggregates grown in AA medium with an enzyme that hydrolyzes feruloyl esters decreased the size of the aggregates to between 20 and 500 [mu]m, compared with an original size between 200 and 1000 [mu]m. These findings suggest that feruloyl and diferuloyl esters between polysaccharides are involved in the aggregation of cultured rice cells.     

Feruloyl Oligosaccharides from Cell Walls of Suspension-Cultured Spinach Cells and Sugar Beet Pulp

Cell walls of suspension-cultured spinach cells and sugar beetpulp were separately hydrolyzed with Driselase. A feruloyl arabinobiosewas isolated from both spinach cells and sugar beet. Four feruloyloligosaccharides were obtained from sugar beet. The four oligosaccharideswere characterized by NMR spectroscopy, methylation analysisand FAB-MS. (Received January 21, 1994; Accepted February 24, 1994)     

Biosynthesis of Xyloglucan in Suspension-Cultured Soybean Cells. Synthesis of Xyloglucan from UDP-Glucose and UDP-Xylose in the Cell-Free System

When UDP-[¹⁴C]glucose or UDP-[¹⁴C]xylose was incubated witha particulate fraction from soybean cells, radioactive polymerswere synthesized. On digestion with Aspergillus oryzae enzymes,these polymers gave ¹⁴C-monosaccharides and a ¹⁴C-disaccharidewith chromatographic and electrophoretic mobilities indistinguishablefrom those of authentic isoprimeverose (6-O--D-xylopyranosyl-D-glucopyranose).The disaccharide consisted of xylose and glucose, and the latterwas located at the reducing end. Evidence that the disaccharideis isoprimeverose was provided by methylation analysis. Hydrolysisof the methylated disaccharide yielded 2,3,4-tri-O-methyl-D-xyloseand 2,3,4-tri-O-methyl-D-glucose. Thus, incorporation of radioactivityinto isoprimeverose, the smallest structural unit of xyloglucan,suggests that xyloglucan is synthesized in vitro from UDP-glucoseand UDP-xylose. (Received November 20, 1980; Accepted February 14, 1981)     

Dehydrodimers of Caffeic Acid in the Cell Walls of Suspension-Cultured Mentha

Dehydrodicaffeic acid derivatives were found in the cell walls of suspension-cultured cells of Mentha. Using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in a single ion chromatography at m/z 790 and m/z 718, eleven peaks of trimethylsilylated dehydrodimers of caffeic acid were detected in the extracts from the cell walls of suspension-cultured cells of Mentha using sodium hydroxide. The result suggests that dehydrodicaffeates are formed in the cell walls from two molecules of caffeate, probably formed through C-C, and C-O-C coupling processes.     

Differences in the Composition of the Cell Walls of Two Morphologically Different Lines of Suspension-Cultured Catharanthus roseus Cells

Differences in the composition of cell walls of two morphologicallydifferent lines (A and B) of suspension-cultured Catharanthusroseus cells, which have the same origin, were investigated.The cells of strain A are nearly spherical, while those of strainB are cylindrical. In strain A, the amount of cell wall pergram fresh weight of cells increased during the logarithmicphase. In strain B, the amount of cell wall per cell decreasedduring the logarithmic phase. The level of matrix polysaccharides increased markedly duringthe logarithmic phase in strain A. The amount of cellulose incell wall was relatively larger in strain B than in strain A.The following differences in sugar composition between the twostrains were observed: (a) there was an increase in the relativelevels of 4-linked galactose in the EDTA-soluble fraction andof 3-linked glucose in the 5% KOH-soluble fraction during thelogarithmic phase in strain A; (b) there were significantlyhigher levels of arabinose, probably derived from 2,5- and/or3,5-linked arabinan, in the EDTA-soluble fraction and in theextracellular polysaccharides in strain B; (c) there were decreasesin the relative amounts of some kinds of sugar, probably thosederived from xyloglucan, during the stationary phase in strainB. (Received March 31, 1989; Accepted October 12, 1989)     

Interaction of Pseudomonas solanacearum with Suspension-Cultured Tobacco Cells and Tobacco Leaf Cell Walls In Vitro

Attachment of radiolabeled Pseudomonas solanacearum cells to suspension-cultured tobacco cells and tobacco leaf cell walls was measured in vitro by a filtration technique that allowed separation of attached and unattached bacteria. An avirulent strain (B1) attached more rapidly to suspension-cultured cells than did the virulent parent strain (K60), and B1 attachment was less sensitive to inhibition by high ionic strength than was K60. Attachment of B1 bacteria to suspension-cultured cells and to leaf cell walls was comparable (50 to 70%), but only a small proportion (10 to 20%) of K60 bacteria attached to leaf cell walls under optimal conditions. With high bacterial populations (10⁸ bacteria per ml), attachment of K60 to suspension-cultured cells was greatly reduced. Attachment of both strains was completely inhibited by pretreating bacterial cells with heat (41°C) or azide and was partially inhibited by EDTA and kanamycin. The mechanism of attachment is not known, but ionic forces may be involved.     

Structure of Plant Cell Walls : XXVI. The Walls of Suspension-Cultured Sycamore Cells Contain a Family of Rhamnogalacturonan-I-Like Pectic Polysaccharides

Considerable information has been obtained about the primary structures of suspension-cultured sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) cell-wall pectic polysaccharides, i.e. rhamnogalacturonan I, rhamnogalacturonan II, and homogalacturonan. However, these polysaccharides, which are solubilized from the walls by endo-α-1,4-polygalacturonase, account for only about half of the pectic polysaccharides known to be present in sycamore cell walls. We now report that, after exhaustive treatment with endo-α-1,4-polygalacturonase, additional pectic polysaccharides were extracted from sycamore cell walls by treatment with Na₂CO₃ at 1 and 22°C. These previously uncharacterized polysaccharides accounted for ~4% of the cell wall. Based on the glycosyl and glycosyl-linkage compositions and the nature of the products obtained by treating the quantitatively predominant NaCO₃-extracted polysaccharides with lithium metal dissolved in ethylenediamine, the polysaccharides were found to strongly resemble rhamnogalacturonan I. However, unlike rhamnogalacturonan I that characteristically had equal amounts of 2- and 2,4-linked rhamnosyl residues in its backbone, the polysaccharides extracted in Na₂CO₃ at 1°C had markedly disparate ratios of 2- to 2,4-linked rhamnosyl residues. We concluded that polysaccharides similar to rhamnogalacturonan I but with different degrees of branching are present in the walls of suspension-cultured sycamore cells.     

Structure of the Primary Cell Walls of Suspension-Cultured Rosa glauca Cells: II. Multiple Forms of Xyloglucans

Xyloglucans, characteristic hemicellulosic polysaccharides of plant primary walls, have been isolated from Rosa glauca suspension-cultured cells. The cell wall material was fractionated by two sequences of extraction based on solubilization of the hemicelluloses in alkaline and organic solvent systems, respectively. In both cases, only a part (about 50%) of the total xyloglucan could be extracted, the rest remaining tightly associated with cellulose and necessitating the use of acid to be solubilized. Purification of xyloglucans was effected by formation of a gel in appropriate mixtures of dimethyl sulfoxide and water. Further fractionation could be achieved on a cellulose column eluted with chaotropic solvents. This demonstrated the heterogeneity of xyloglucans in the primary cell walls. Analytical data show that all fractions are constituted with the same sugars: l-arabinose, l-fucose, d-galactose, d-xylose, and d-glucose, but their relative proportions differ, particularly the ratio of glucose to xylose which varies from 1.2 to 2 within the different xyloglucans. The structure of these hemicelluloses was established by methylation analysis and shown to consist of a (1 → 4)-linked glucan backbone which carries substituents on the O-6 of glucose. Here again, the multiple forms of xyloglucans was suggested by the various patterns of substitutions found on the different fractions. The configuration of the linkages were established by ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and shown to be β for the glucan backbone, α for the xylosyl and fucosyl substituents, and β for the galactosyl substituents. These configurations agree with the specific rotation of the xyloglucan.     

Structure of the Primary Cell Walls of Suspension-Cultured Rosa glauca Cells: I. Polysaccharides Associated with Cellulose

Cell walls of suspension-cultured cells of Rosa glauca were fractionated by two different extraction procedures. The first involved a stepwise fractionation scheme based on alkaline extraction. The second took advantage of the powerful cellulose solvent system N-methylmorpholine N-oxide/dimethyl sulfoxide which is capable of solubilizing whole cell walls. From the analytical composition of each solubilized fraction and of the corresponding residues, the fate of each type of cell wall polysaccharide constituent was followed at each step of the extraction scheme and the mode of action of the extractant was interpreted. Although the two fractionation procedures were very different, they yielded very similar cellulosic complex residues and extracts, thus delimiting two blocks of polysaccharides in the cell wall. The cellulose residues still comprised uronic acid-containing polysaccharides and hemicelluloses in association with cellulose. Graded acid hydrolysis provided evidence for the central role of a homogalacturonan core interconnecting xyloglucans and arabinogalactans. A tentative model showing the possible interaction existing between the constituent polysaccharides still associated to cellulose after alkaline extraction is presented. Hydrogen bonding between xyloglucan and cellulose is confirmed, and glycosidic linkages between xyloglucans and pectic polymers are suggested.     

Structure of Plant Cell Walls : XVIII. An Analysis of the Extracellular Polysaccharides of Suspension-Cultured Sycamore Cells

The water-soluble polysaccharides (SEPS) secreted into the medium by suspension-cultured sycamore cells were examined to determine whether the polysaccharides were the same as those present in the walls of sycamore cells. The SEPS were made more amenable to fractionation by treatment with a highly purified α-1,4-endopolygalacturonase (EPG). The EPG-treated SEPS were fractionated by anion-exchange and gelpermeation chromatography. The following polysaccharides were found: xyloglucan, arabinoxylan, at least two arabinogalactans, a rhamnogalacturonan-II-like polysaccharide, and a polygalacturonic acid-rich polysaccharide. The oligogalacturonide fragments expected from EPG-digested homogalacturonan were also identified. Evidence was obtained for the presence of a rhamnogalacturonan-I-like polysaccharide. All of the above polysaccharides have been isolated from or are believed to be present in sycamore cell walls. Furthermore, all of the noncellulosic polysaccharides known to be present in sycamore cell-walls appear to be present in the SEPS.     

Structure of Plant Cell Walls : XIX. Isolation and Characterization of Wall Polysaccharides from Suspension-Cultured Douglas Fir Cells

The partial purification and characterization of cell wall polysaccharides isolated from suspension-cultured Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) cells are described. Extraction of isolated cell walls with 1.0 m LiCl solubilized pectic polysaccharides with glycosyl-linkage compositions similar to those of rhamnogalacturonans I and II, pectic polysaccharides isolated from walls of suspension-cultured sycamore cells. Treatment of LiCl-extracted Douglas fir walls with an endo-α-1,4-polygalacturonase released only small, additional amounts of pectic polysaccharide, which had a glycosyl-linkage composition similar to that of rhamnogalacturonan I. Xyloglucan oligosaccharides were released from the endo-α-1,4-polygalacturonase-treated walls by treatment with an endo-β-1,4-glucanase. These oligosaccharides included hepta- and nonasaccharides similar or identical to those released from sycamore cell walls by the same enzyme, and structurally related octa- and decasaccharides similar to those isolated from various angiosperms. Finally, additional xyloglucan and small amounts of xylan were extracted from the endo-β-1,4-glucanase-treated walls by 0.5 n NaOH. The xylan resembled that extracted by NaOH from dicot cell walls in that it contained 2,4- but not 3,4-linked xylosyl residues. In this study, a total of 15% of the cell wall was isolated as pectic material, 10% as xyloglucan, and less than 1% as xylan. The noncellulosic polysaccharides accounted for 26% of the cell walls, cellulose for 23%, protein for 34%, and ash for 5%, for a total of 88% of the cell wall. The cell walls of Douglas fir were more similar to dicot (sycamore) cell walls than to those of graminaceous monocots, because they had a predominance of xyloglucan over xylan as the principle hemicellulose and because they possessed relatively large amounts of rhamnogalacturonan-like pectic polysaccharides.     

An {alpha}-Glucan from Suspension-Cultured Rice Cells

An -glucan was isolated from 11-day-old suspension-culturedrice cells by extraction with hot Na-phosphate buffer (pH 6.8).The -glucan had []_D=+234? (C = 0.14, in water) and its averagemolecular weight was estimated to be about 1.4 ? 10⁴, basedon elution characteristics on acalibrated Sepharose CL-6B column.Upon partial acid hydrolysis, the -glucan gave mainly malto-oligosaccharides.The maximum absorption of the iodine complex of the -glucanin the presence of Na₂SO₄ was at 470 nm. The results of hydrolysisby , ß- and iso-amylases and methylation analysisindicated that the isolated -glucan is a highly branched polysaccharidewith an average chain length of 9. The exterior and interiorchain lengths of the -glucan were calculated to be 5 and 3,respectively. (Received July 23, 1986; Accepted February 7, 1987)     

An Efficient Rice Mutagenesis System Based on Suspension-Cultured Cells

Plant mutants are important bio-resources for crop breeding and gene functional studies. Conventional methods for generating mutant libraries by mutagenesis of seeds with physical or chemical agents are of low efficiency. Here, we developed a highly-efficient ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis system based on suspension-cultured cells, with rice (Oryza sativa L.) as an example. We show that treatment of suspension-cultured tiny cell clusters with 0.4% EMS for 18-22h followed by differentiation and regeneration produced as high as 29.4% independent mutant lines with visible phenotypic variations, including a number of important agronomic traits such as grain size, panicle size, grain or panicle shape, tiller number and angle, heading date, male sterility, and disease sensitivity. No mosaic mutant was observed in the mutant lines tested. In this mutant library, we obtained a mutant with an abnormally elongated uppermost internode. Sequencing and functional analysis revealed that this is a new allelic mutant of eui (elongated uppermost internode) caused by two point mutations in the first exon of the EUI gene, representing a successful example of this mutagenesis system.     

Roles of Cellulose and Xyloglucan in Determining the Mechanical Properties of Primary Plant Cell Walls

The primary cell walls of growing and fleshy plant tissue mostly share a common set of molecular components, cellulose, xyloglucan (XyG), and pectin, that are required for both inherent strength and the ability to respond to cell expansion during growth. To probe molecular mechanisms underlying material properties, cell walls and analog composites from Acetobacter xylinus have been measured under small deformation and uniaxial extension conditions as a function of molecular composition. Small deformation oscillatory rheology shows a common frequency response for homogenized native cell walls, their sequential extraction residues, and bacterial cellulose alone. This behavior is characteristic of structuring via entanglement of cellulosic rods and is more important than cross-linking with XyG in determining shear moduli. Compared with cellulose alone, composites with XyG have lower stiffness and greater extensibility in uniaxial tension, despite being highly cross-linked at the molecular level. It is proposed that this is due to domains of cross-linked cellulose behaving as mechanical elements, whereas cellulose alone behaves as a mat of individual fibrils. The implication from this work is that XyG/cellulose networks provide a balance of extensibility and strength required by primary cell walls, which is not achievable with cellulose alone.     

Membrane Depolarization Induced by N-Acetylchitooligosaccharide Elicitor in Suspension-Cultured Rice Cells

N-acetylchitooIigosaccharides (fragments of chitin) elicit defenseresponses, including phytoalexin production, in suspension-culturedrice cells. They induced rapid and transient membrane depolarizationaccompanied by a transient increase in net CP^–-efflux.The membrane depolarization was not affected by anaerobiosisor azide, suggesting that the major part of the depolarizationwas mediated by ion channels, not by energy-dependent ion pumps.Depolarization was partly inhibited in the presence of Ca²⁺-or Cl^–-channel blockers and highly inhibited by depletionof Ca²⁺ in the extracellular medium. A calcium ionophore, A23187 [GenBank] ,caused a transient depolarization but not an increase in Cl^–efflux, while it did not inhibit the elic-itor-induced transientdepolarization and Cl^– efflux. These suggest that theinflux of Ca²⁺ from the extracellular space to the cytoplasmis necessary as an initial trigger but not sufficient for membranedepolarization, Cl^– efflux, and the following signalingprocesses. (Received November 2, 1996; Accepted May 12, 1997)     

Purification of Xyloglucan Hydrolase/Endotransferase from Cell Walls of Azuki Bean Epicotyls

An enzyme involved in the breakdown of xyloglucans was purifiedfrom an extract of cell walls of azuki bean epicotyls obtainedwith 1 M NaCl and purified by column chromatography on severaldifferent resins. The purified enzyme gave a single band ofa protein with a molecular mass of about 32 kDa after SDS-PAGE.The enzyme hydrolyzed the xyloglucans of high molecular massfrom azuki cell walls to yield fragments of about 50 kDa withoutproduction of any oligo- or monosaccharides. Moreover, the enzymehad hardly any effect on xyloglucans of less than 60 kDa. Theenzyme also hydrolyzed xyloglucans from tamarind, but it didnot react with cellulose derivatives. In the presence of pyridylamino-labeledxyloglucan oligosac-charides as acceptor substrates, the enzymecatalyzed the transfer of 50-kDa products to the oligosaccharides.The K_m value of the enzyme for xyloglucans of 540 kDa was similarin the presence and in the absence of xyloglucan oligosaccharidesas acceptors: 1.0 mg ml^–1. These results suggest thatthe enzyme was an endotransferase but had unusual acceptor specificity,preferring smaller acceptors such as water. (Received September 9, 1996; Accepted March 16, 1997)     

Involvement of Jasmonic Acid in Elicitor-Induced Phytoalexin Production in Suspension-Cultured Rice Cells

It has been suggested that jasmonic acid (JA) could be an integral part of a general signal transduction system regulating inducible defense genes in plants. It was reported that treatment with an elicitor (N-acetylchitoheptaose) induced production of phytoalexin in suspension-cultured rice (Oryza sativa L.) cells. In this study, the role of JA in the induction of phytoalexin production by N-acetylchitoheptaose was investigated. Exogenously applied ([plus or minus])-JA (10-4 M) clearly induced the production of momilactone A, a major phytoalexin, in suspension-cultured rice cells. On the other hand, in rice cells treated with N-acetylchitoheptaose, endogenous JA was rapidly and transiently accumulated prior to accumulation of momilactone A. Treatment with ibuprofen, an inhibitor of JA biosynthesis, reduced production of momilactone A in the cells treated with N-acetylchitoheptaose, but the addition of ([plus or minus])-JA increased production of momilactone A to levels higher than those in the elicited rice cells. These results strongly suggest that JA functions as a signal transducer in the induction of biosynthesis of momilactone A by N-acetylchitoheptaose in suspension-cultured rice cells.