Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026

High Resolution Quantification of Crystalline Cellulose Accumulation in Arabidopsis Roots to Monitor Tissue-specific Cell Wall Modifications
Published on: May 10, 2016
Cell wall hemicellulose contributes significantly to aluminum adsorption and root growth in Arabidopsis
Jian Li Yang1, Xiao Fang Zhu, You Xiang Peng
1State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
Abstract:
The cell wall (CW) has been recognized as the major target of aluminum (Al) toxicity. However, the components responsible for Al accumulation and the mechanisms of Al-induced CW function disruption are still elusive. The contribution of different CW components (pectin, hemicellulose 1 [HC1], and HC2) to adsorb Al and the effect of Al on xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolyase activity were investigated in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) in this study. A fractionation procedure was optimized to effectively extract different CW components, especially to prevent the HC fraction from pectin contamination. When CW materials extracted from Al-treated roots (50 μm Al for 24 h) were fractionated, about 75% of CW Al accumulated in the HC1 fraction. A time-dependent kinetic study showed that only when the HC1 fraction was removed was the amount of Al adsorbed decreased sharply. In vivo localization of xyloglucan endotransglucosylase (XET) activity showed that Al greatly inhibited this enzyme activity within 30 min of exposure, which was concomitant with Al-induced callose deposition in roots. Results from real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction indicated that three genes may constitute the major contributors to XET activity and that the inhibition of XET activity by Al is caused by transcriptional regulation. These results, to our knowledge for the first time, demonstrate that HC is the major pool for Al accumulation. Furthermore, Al-induced reduction in XET activity could play an important role in Al-induced root growth inhibition.
Related Concept Videos
Cell Adhesion in Plants
Pectins are complex heteropolymers mainly composed of negatively-charged α-D-glucopyranosyl uronic acid and some neutral glycosyl residues such as α-L-rhamnopyranose, α-L-arabinofuranose, and...
Cellulose and Pectic Polysaccharides
As a cell matures, its cell wall specializes according to its type. For example, the parenchyma cells of...
Role of Microtubules in Cell Wall Deposition
Plant Cell Wall
Plant Cell Wall
Water and Mineral Acquisition

