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An alternate route for cellulose microfibril biosynthesis in plants
Eric M Roberts1, Kai Yuan2, Arielle M Chaves2
1Department of Biology, Rhode Island College, Providence, RI 02908, USA.
Science Advances
|December 13, 2024
Summary
Cellulose synthase-like D (CSLD) proteins, not CESAs, produce cellulose microfibrils in moss, forming distinct membrane complexes. This suggests specialized roles for CSLDs in plant growth and cell division.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Cellulose Biosynthesis
- Molecular Plant Science
Background:
- Cellulose synthases (CESAs) and cellulose synthase-like D (CSLD) proteins synthesize β-1,4-glucan in plants.
- CSLDs are crucial for tip growth and cytokinesis, but their in vivo complex formation and cellulose production capabilities remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the function of CSLD proteins in cellulose microfibril synthesis.
- To determine if CSLDs form membrane complexes and produce cellulose independently of CESAs.
Main Methods:
- Generation of viable CESA-deficient mutants in the moss Physcomitrium patens.
- Utilized microscopy and spectroscopy to analyze cellulose structure.
- Employed freeze-fracture electron microscopy to examine plasma membrane complexes.
Main Results:
- CESA-deficient mutants produced cellulose microfibrils structurally identical to those in vascular plants.
- Rosette-shaped particle assemblies, similar to CESA-containing complexes, were observed in the plasma membrane.
- Evidence suggests CSLDs, rather than CESAs, are responsible for microfibril synthesis in P. patens protonemal filaments.
Conclusions:
- CSLD proteins likely synthesize cellulose microfibrils in P. patens, forming distinct membrane complexes.
- Specialized functions of CSLDs in tip growth and cytokinesis may stem from differential expression and interactions, not altered microfibril structure.
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