Xyloglucan Remodeling Defines Auxin-Dependent Differential Tissue Expansion in Plants.

Size control is a fundamental question in biology, showing incremental complexity in plants, whose cells possess a rigid cell wall. The phytohormone auxin is a vital growth regulator with central importance for differential growth control. Our results indicate that auxin-reliant growth programs affect the molecular complexity of xyloglucans, the major type of cell wall hemicellulose in eudicots. Auxin-dependent induction and repression of growth coincide with reduced and enhanced molecular complexity of xyloglucans, respectively. In agreement with a proposed function in growth control, genetic interference with xyloglucan side decorations distinctly modulates auxin-dependent differential growth rates. Our work proposes that auxin-dependent growth programs have a spatially defined effect on xyloglucan's molecular structure, which in turn affects cell wall mechanics and specifies differential, gravitropic hypocotyl growth.

Molecular link between auxin and ROS-mediated polar growth.

Root hair polar growth is endogenously controlled by auxin and sustained by oscillating levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These cells extend several hundred-fold their original size toward signals important for plant survival. Although their final cell size is of fundamental importance, the molecular mechanisms that control it remain largely unknown. Here we show that ROS production is controlled by the transcription factor RSL4, which in turn is transcriptionally regulated by auxin through several auxin response factors (ARFs). In this manner, auxin controls ROS-mediated polar growth by activating RSL4, which then up-regulates the expression of genes encoding NADPH oxidases (also known as RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE HOMOLOG proteins) and class III peroxidases, which catalyze ROS production. Chemical or genetic interference with ROS balance or peroxidase activity affects root hair final cell size. Overall, our findings establish a molecular link between auxin and ROS-mediated polar root hair growth.

Auxin and Cellular Elongation.

Auxin is a crucial growth regulator in plants. However, a comprehensive understanding of how auxin induces cell expansion is perplexing, because auxin acts in a concentration- and cell type-dependent manner. Consequently, it is desirable to focus on certain cell types to exemplify the underlying growth mechanisms. On the other hand, plant tissues display supracellular growth (beyond the level of single cells); hence, other cell types might compromise the growth of a certain tissue. Tip-growing cells do not display neighbor-induced growth constraints and, therefore, are a valuable source of information for growth-controlling mechanisms. Here, we focus on auxin-induced cellular elongation in root hairs, exposing a mechanistic view of plant growth regulation. We highlight a complex interplay between auxin metabolism and transport, steering root hair development in response to internal and external triggers. Auxin signaling modules and downstream cascades of transcription factors define a developmental program that appears rate limiting for cellular growth. With this knowledge in mind, the root hair cell is a very suitable model system in which to dissect cellular effectors required for cellular expansion.

Corrigendum: Identification and evolution of a plant cell wall specific glycoprotein glycosyl transferase, ExAD.

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/srep45341.

Identification and evolution of a plant cell wall specific glycoprotein glycosyl transferase, ExAD.

Extensins are plant cell wall glycoproteins that act as scaffolds for the deposition of the main wall carbohydrate polymers, which are interlocked into the supramolecular wall structure through intra- and inter-molecular iso-di-tyrosine crosslinks within the extensin backbone. In the conserved canonical extensin repeat, Ser-Hyp4, serine and the consecutive C4-hydroxyprolines (Hyps) are substituted with an α-galactose and 1-5 ß- or α-linked arabinofuranoses (Arafs), respectively. These modifications are required for correct extended structure and function of the extensin network. Here, we identified a single Arabidopsis thaliana gene, At3g57630, in clade E of the inverting Glycosyltransferase family GT47 as a candidate for the transfer of Araf to Hyp-arabinofuranotriose (Hyp-ß1,4Araf-ß1,2Araf-ß1,2Araf) side chains in an α-linkage, to yield Hyp-Araf4 which is exclusively found in extensins. T-DNA knock-out mutants of At3g57630 showed a truncated root hair phenotype, as seen for mutants of all hitherto characterized extensin glycosylation enzymes; both root hair and glycan phenotypes were restored upon reintroduction of At3g57630. At3g57630 was named Extensin Arabinose Deficient transferase, ExAD, accordingly. The occurrence of ExAD orthologs within the Viridiplantae along with its' product, Hyp-Araf4, point to ExAD being an evolutionary hallmark of terrestrial plants and charophyte green algae.