Functional analyses of cellulose synthase genes in flax (Linum usitatissimum) by virus-induced gene silencing
Abstract
Flax (Linum usitatissimum) bast fibres are located in the stem cortex where they play an
important role in mechanical support. They contain high amounts of cellulose and so are used
for linen textiles and in the composite industry. In this study, we screened the annotated flax
genome and identified 14 distinct cellulose synthase (CESA) genes using orthologous sequences
previously identified. Transcriptomics of ‘primary cell wall’ and ‘secondary cell wall’ flax CESA
genes showed that some were preferentially expressed in different organs and stem tissues
providing clues as to their biological role(s) in planta. The development for the first time in flax
of a virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) approach was used to functionally evaluate the
biological role of different CESA genes in stem tissues. Quantification of transcript accumulation
showed that in many cases, silencing not only affected targeted CESA clades, but also had an
impact on other CESA genes. Whatever the targeted clade, inactivation by VIGS affected plant
growth. In contrast, only clade 1- and clade 6-targeted plants showed modifications in outerstem
tissue organization and secondary cell wall formation. In these plants, bast fibre number
and structure were severely impacted, suggesting that the targeted genes may play an
important role in the establishment of the fibre cell wall. Our results provide new fundamental
information about cellulose biosynthesis in flax that should facilitate future plant improvement/
engineering
Fichier principal
Chantreau et al. - Plant Biotechnology Journal - 2015.pdf (1.58 Mo)
Télécharger le fichier
Origin | Publication funded by an institution |
---|
Loading...