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The Cellulase KORRIGAN Is Part of the Cellulose Synthase Complex
Thomas Vain1, Elizabeth Faris Crowell1, Hélène Timpano1
1Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 1318, Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, Saclay Plant Sciences, F-78000 Versailles, France (T.V., E.F.C., H.T., E.B., T.D., S.P., S.R., H.H., M.G., S.V.);AgroParisTech, Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, F-78000 Versailles, France (T.V., E.F.C., H.T., E.B., T.D., H.H., M.G., S.V.); andWageningen University and Research Plant Breeding, Wageningen University and Research Centre, 6708 PD Wageningen, The Netherlands (N.M., L.M.T.).
Plant Physiology
|June 21, 2014
Summary
A mutation in KORRIGAN1 (KOR1) affects cellulose synthase complex (CSC) movement and trafficking, revealing KOR1
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Cell Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Plant growth relies on cellulose microfibrils synthesized by cellulose synthase complexes (CSCs).
- The role of endo-1,4-β-d-glucanases, like KORRIGAN1 (KOR1), in cellulose synthesis and CSC trafficking remains unclear.
- KOR1 is a membrane-bound enzyme associated with cellulose synthesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the function of KORRIGAN1 (KOR1) in cellulose synthesis and cellulose synthase complex (CSC) trafficking.
- To determine the localization and role of KOR1 in the plasma membrane and its interaction with CSCs.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a leaky mutation in Arabidopsis KOR1.
- Live cell imaging to track CSC movement.
- Biochemical assays including gel filtration, split ubiquitin assays in yeast, and bimolecular fluorescence complementation.
Main Results:
- A KOR1 mutation impaired CSC movement in the plasma membrane and altered CSC intracellular trafficking.
- KOR1 was identified as an integral component of the plasma membrane-localized CSC.
- Evidence suggests KOR1 is involved in both cellulose microfibril synthesis and CSC intracellular transport.
Conclusions:
- KORRIGAN1 (KOR1) plays a dual role in plant cell wall formation, influencing both cellulose synthesis and the trafficking of cellulose synthase complexes (CSCs).
- KOR1 is confirmed as an essential part of the CSC machinery at the plasma membrane, challenging previous assumptions about its function.
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