Sterol Glucosyltransferases Tailor Polysaccharide Accumulation in Arabidopsis Seed Coat Epidermal Cells

oleh: Adeline Berger, Marie-Christine Ralet, Elodie Akary, Christine Sallé, Olivier Grandjean, Isabelle Debeaujon, Helen M. North

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2021-09-01

Deskripsi

The conjugation of sterols with a Glc moiety is catalyzed by sterol glucosyltransferases (SGTs). A portion of the resulting steryl glucosides (SG) are then esterified with a long-chain fatty acid to form acyl-SG (ASG). SG and ASG are prevalent components of plant cellular membranes and influence their organization and functional properties. Mutant analysis had previously inferred that two Arabidopsis SGTs, UGT80A2 and UGT80B1/TT15, could have specialized roles in the production of SG in seeds, despite an overlap in their enzymatic activity. Here, we establish new roles for both enzymes in the accumulation of polysaccharides in seed coat epidermal cells (SCEs). The rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) content of the inner layer of seed mucilage was higher in <i>ugt80A2</i>, whereas RG-I accumulation was lower in mutants of <i>UGT80B1</i>, with double mutant phenotypes indicating that UGT80A2 acts independently from UGT80B1. In contrast, an additive phenotype was observed in double mutants for increased galactoglucomannan (GGM) content. Double mutants also exhibited increased polymer density within the inner mucilage layer. In contrast, cell wall defects were only observed in mutants defective for <i>UGT80B1</i>, while more mucilage cellulose was only observed when <i>UGT80A2</i> was mutated. The generation of a range of phenotypic effects, simultaneously within a single cell type, demonstrates that the adjustment of the SG and ASG composition of cellular membranes by UGT80A2 and UGT80B1 tailors polysaccharide accumulation in Arabidopsis seeds.