Three AtCesA6‐like members enhance biomass production by distinctively promoting cell growth in Arabidopsis |
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Authors: | Huizhen Hu Ran Zhang Shengqiu Feng Youmei Wang Yanting Wang Chunfen Fan Ying Li Zengyu Liu René Schneider Tao Xia Shi‐You Ding Staffan Persson Liangcai Peng |
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Affiliation: | 1. Biomass and Bioenergy Research Centre, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China;2. National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China;3. College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China;4. Max‐Planck‐Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam‐Golm, Germany;5. School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia;6. College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China;7. Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA |
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Abstract: | Cellulose is an abundant biopolymer and a prominent constituent of plant cell walls. Cellulose is also a central component to plant morphogenesis and contributes the bulk of a plant's biomass. While cellulose synthase (CesA) genes were identified over two decades ago, genetic manipulation of this family to enhance cellulose production has remained difficult. In this study, we show that increasing the expression levels of the three primary cell wall AtCesA6‐like genes (AtCesA2, AtCesA5, AtCesA6), but not AtCesA3, AtCesA9 or secondary cell wall AtCesA7, can promote the expression of major primary wall CesA genes to accelerate primary wall CesA complex (cellulose synthase complexes, CSCs) particle movement for acquiring long microfibrils and consequently increasing cellulose production in Arabidopsis transgenic lines, as compared with wild‐type. The overexpression transgenic lines displayed changes in expression of genes related to cell growth and proliferation, perhaps explaining the enhanced growth of the transgenic seedlings. Notably, overexpression of the three AtCesA6‐like genes also enhanced secondary cell wall deposition that led to improved mechanical strength and higher biomass production in transgenic mature plants. Hence, we propose that overexpression of certain AtCesA genes can provide a biotechnological approach to increase cellulose synthesis and biomass accumulation in transgenic plants. |
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Keywords: | cellulose synthesis cell expansion cell division CesA cell wall biomass production |
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