The epidermis-specific extracellular BODYGUARD controls cuticle development and morphogenesis in Arabidopsis

Kurdyukov, Sergey; Faust, Andrea; Nawrath, Christiane; Bär, Sascha; Voisin, Derry; Efremova, Nadia; Franke, Rochus; Schreiber, Lukas; Saedler, Heinz; Métraux, Jean-Pierre; Yephremov, Alexander

doi:10.1105/tpc.105.036079

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Journal article

The epidermis-specific extracellular BODYGUARD controls cuticle development and morphogenesis in Arabidopsis

Kurdyukov, Sergey Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung, Köln, Germany - ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Legume Research, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia
Faust, Andrea Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung, Köln, Germany
Nawrath, Christiane Department of Biology, Unit of Plant Biology, University of Fribourg, Switzerland - Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
Bär, Sascha Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung, Köln, Germany
Voisin, Derry Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung, Köln, Germany
Efremova, Nadia Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung, Köln, Germany
Franke, Rochus Institut für Zelluläre and Molekulare Botanik, Universität Bonn, Germany
Schreiber, Lukas Institut für Zelluläre and Molekulare Botanik, Universität Bonn, Germany
Saedler, Heinz Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung, Köln, Germany
Métraux, Jean-Pierre Department of Biology, Unit of Plant Biology, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
Yephremov, Alexander Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung, Köln, Germany

13.01.2006

Published in:

The Plant Cell. - 2006, vol. 18, no. 2, p. 321-339

English The outermost epidermal cell wall is specialized to withstand pathogens and natural stresses, and lipid-based cuticular polymers are the major barrier against incursions. The Arabidopsis thaliana mutant bodyguard (bdg), which exhibits defects characteristic of the loss of cuticle structure not attributable to a lack of typical cutin monomers, unexpectedly accumulates significantly more cell wall–bound lipids and epicuticular waxes than wild-type plants. Pleiotropic effects of the bdg mutation on growth, viability, and cell differentiation are also observed. BDG encodes a member of the α/ß-hydrolase fold protein superfamily and is expressed exclusively in epidermal cells. Using Strep-tag epitope-tagged BDG for mutant complementation and immunolocalization, we show that BDG is a polarly localized protein that accumulates in the outermost cell wall in the epidermis. With regard to the appearance and structure of the cuticle, the phenotype conferred by bdg is reminiscent of that of transgenic Arabidopsis plants that express an extracellular fungal cutinase, suggesting that bdg may be incapable of completing the polymerization of carboxylic esters in the cuticular layer of the cell wall or the cuticle proper. We propose that BDG codes for an extracellular synthase responsible for the formation of cuticle. The alternative hypothesis proposes that BDG controls the proliferation/differentiation status of the epidermis via an unknown mechanism.

Faculty

Faculté des sciences et de médecine

Department

Département de Biologie

Language