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Lignin is a major polymer in the secondary plant cell wall and composed of hydrophobic interlinked hydroxyphenylpropanoid units. The presence of lignin hampers conversion of plant biomass into biofuels; plants with modified lignin are therefore being investigated for increased digestibility. The bacterium Sphingomonas paucimobilis produces lignin-degrading enzymes including LigD, LigF and LigG involved in cleaving the most abundant lignin interunit linkage, the β-aryl ether bond. In this study, we expressed the LigD, LigF and LigG ( Lig DFG) genes in Arabidopsis thaliana to introduce postlignification modifications into the lignin structure. The three enzymes were targeted to the secretory pathway. Phenolic metabolite profiling and 2D HSQC NMR of the transgenic lines showed an increase in oxidized guaiacyl and syringyl units without concomitant increase in oxidized β-aryl ether units, showing lignin bond cleavage. Saccharification yield increased significantly in transgenic lines expressing Lig DFG, showing the applicability of our approach. Additional new information on substrate specificity of the Lig DFG enzymes is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have characterized a β-glucuronosyltransferase ( At Glc AT14 A) from Arabidopsis thaliana that is involved in the biosynthesis of type II arabinogalactan ( AG). This enzyme belongs to the Carbohydrate Active Enzyme database glycosyltransferase family 14 ( GT14). The protein was localized to the Golgi apparatus when transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana. The soluble catalytic domain expressed in Pichia pastoris transferred glucuronic acid ( Glc A) to β-1,6-galactooligosaccharides with degrees of polymerization ( DP) ranging from 3-11, and to β-1,3-galactooligosaccharides of DP5 and 7, indicating that the enzyme is a glucuronosyltransferase that modifies both the β-1,6- and β-1,3-galactan present in type II AG. Two allelic T- DNA insertion mutant lines showed 20-35% enhanced cell elongation during seedling growth compared to wild-type. Analyses of AG isolated from the mutants revealed a reduction of Glc A substitution on Gal-β-1,6-Gal and β-1,3-Gal, indicating an in vivo role of At Glc AT14A in synthesis of those structures in type II AG. Moreover, a relative increase in the levels of 3-, 6- and 3,6-linked galactose (Gal) and reduced levels of 3-, 2- and 2,5-linked arabinose (Ara) were seen, suggesting that the mutation in AtGlc AT14A results in a relative increase of the longer and branched β-1,3- and β-1,6-galactans. This increase of galactosylation in the mutants is most likely caused by increased availability of the O6 position of Gal, which is a shared acceptor site for At Glc AT14 A and galactosyltransferases in synthesis of type II AG, and thus addition of Glc A may terminate Gal chain extension. We discuss a role for the glucuronosyltransferase in the biosynthesis of type II AG, with a biological role during seedling growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An Arabidopsis thaliana gene, At1g56550, was expressed in Pichia pastoris and the recombinant protein was shown to catalyse transfer of d-xylose from UDP-α-d-xylose onto methyl α-l-fucoside. The product formed was shown by 1D and 2D 1H NMR spectroscopy to be Me α-d-Xyl-(1,3)-α-l-Fuc, which is identical to the proposed target structure in the A-chain of rhamnogalacturonan II. Chemically synthesized methyl l-fucosides derivatized by methyl groups on either the 2-, 3- or 4 position were tested as acceptor substrates but only methyl 4-O-methyl-α-l-fucopyranoside acted as an acceptor, although to a lesser extent than methyl α-l-fucoside. At1g56550 is suggested to encode a rhamnogalacturonan II specific xylosyltransferase. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Two homologous plant-specific Arabidopsis thaliana genes, RGXT1 and RGXT2, belong to a new family of glycosyltransferases (CAZy GT-family-77) and encode cell wall (1,3)-α-D-xylosyltransferases. The deduced amino acid sequences contain single transmembrane domains near the N terminus, indicative of a type II membrane protein structure. Soluble secreted forms of the corresponding proteins expressed in insect cells showed xylosyltrensferase activity, transferring D-xylose from UDP-α-xylose to L-fucose. The disaccharide product was hydrolyzed by α-xylosidase, whereas no reaction was catalyzed by β-xylosidase. Furthermore, the regio- and stereochemistry of the methyl xylosyl-fucoside was determined by nuclear magnetic resonance to be an α-(1,3) linkage, demonstrating the isolated glycosyltransferases to be (1,3)-α-D-xylosyltransferases. This particular linkage is only known in rhamnogalacturonan-II, a complex polysaccharide essential to vascular plants, and is conserved across higher plant families. Rhamnogalacturonan-II isolated from both RGXT1 and RGXT2 T-DNA insertional mutants functioned as specific acceptor molecules in the xylosyltransferase assay. Expression of RGXT1- and RGXT2-enhanced green fluorescent protein constructs in Arabidopsis revealed that both fusion proteins were targeted to a Brefeldin A-sensitive compartment and also colocalized with the Golgi marker dye BODIPY TR ceramide, consistent with targeting to the Golgi apparatus. Taken together, these results suggest that RGXT1 and RGXT2 encode Golgi-localized (1,3)-α-D-xylosyltransferases involved in the biosynthesis of pectic rhamnogalacturonan-II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are a diverse group of cell surface--and wall--associated glycoproteins. Functionally important AGP glycans are synthesized in the Golgi apparatus, but the relationships among their glycosylation levels, processing, and functionalities are poorly understood. Here, we report the identification and functional characterization of two Golgilocalized exo-β-1,3-galactosidases from the glycosyl hydrolase 43 (GH43) family in Arabidopsis thaliana. GH43 loss-of-function mutants exhibited root cell expansion defects in sugar-containing growth media. This root phenotype was associated with an increase in the extent of AGP cell wall association, as demonstrated by Yariv phenylglycoside dye quantification and comprehensive microarray polymer profiling of sequentially extracted cell walls. Characterization of recombinant GH43 variants revealed that the exo-β-1,3-galactosidase activity of GH43 enzymes is hindered by β-1,6 branches on β-1,3-galactans. In line with this steric hindrance, the recombinant GH43 variants did not release galactose from cell wall--extracted glycoproteins or AGP-rich gumarabic. These results indicate that the lack of exoβ-1,3-galactosidase activity alters cell wall extensibility in roots, a phenotype that could be explained by the involvement of galactosidases in AGP glycan biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]