Identification and Biochemical Characterization of Four Wood-Associated Glucuronoxylan Methyltransferases in Populus
Abstract
Wood is one of the promising bioenergy feedstocks for lignocellulosic biofuel production. Understanding how wood components are synthesized will help us design strategies for better utilization of wood for biofuel production. One of the major wood components is xylan, in which about 10% of xylosyl residues are substituted with glucuronic acid (GlcA) side chains. All the GlcA side chains of xylan in wood of Populus trichocarpa are methylated, which is different from Arabidopsis xylan in which about 60% of GlcA side chains are methylated. Genes responsible for methylation of GlcA side chains in Populus xylan have not been identified. Here, we report genetic and biochemical analyses of four DUF579 domain-containing proteins, PtrGXM1, PtrGXM2, PtrGXM3 and PtrGXM4, from Populus trichocarpa and their roles in GlcA methylation in xylan. The PtrGXM genes were found to be highly expressed in wood-forming cells and their encoded proteins were shown to be localized in the Golgi. When overexpressed in the Arabidopsis gxm1/2/3 triple mutant, PtrGXMs were able to partially complement the mutant phenotypes including defects in glucuronoxylan methyltransferase activity and GlcA methylation in xylan, indicating that PtrGXMs most likely function as glucuronoxylan methyltransferases. Direct evidence was provided by enzymatic analysis of recombinant PtrGXM proteins showingmore »
- Authors:
-
- University of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences Division (CSGB)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1904685
- Grant/Contract Number:
- FG02-03ER15415
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- PLoS ONE
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 9; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 1932-6203
- Publisher:
- Public Library of Science
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; methyltransferases; Arabidopsis thaliana; methylation; wood; recombinant proteins; microsomes; poplars; biosynthesis
Citation Formats
Yuan, Youxi, Teng, Quincy, Zhong, Ruiqin, and Ye, Zheng-Hua. Identification and Biochemical Characterization of Four Wood-Associated Glucuronoxylan Methyltransferases in Populus. United States: N. p., 2014.
Web. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0087370.
Yuan, Youxi, Teng, Quincy, Zhong, Ruiqin, & Ye, Zheng-Hua. Identification and Biochemical Characterization of Four Wood-Associated Glucuronoxylan Methyltransferases in Populus. United States. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0087370
Yuan, Youxi, Teng, Quincy, Zhong, Ruiqin, and Ye, Zheng-Hua. Tue .
"Identification and Biochemical Characterization of Four Wood-Associated Glucuronoxylan Methyltransferases in Populus". United States. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0087370. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1904685.
@article{osti_1904685,
title = {Identification and Biochemical Characterization of Four Wood-Associated Glucuronoxylan Methyltransferases in Populus},
author = {Yuan, Youxi and Teng, Quincy and Zhong, Ruiqin and Ye, Zheng-Hua},
abstractNote = {Wood is one of the promising bioenergy feedstocks for lignocellulosic biofuel production. Understanding how wood components are synthesized will help us design strategies for better utilization of wood for biofuel production. One of the major wood components is xylan, in which about 10% of xylosyl residues are substituted with glucuronic acid (GlcA) side chains. All the GlcA side chains of xylan in wood of Populus trichocarpa are methylated, which is different from Arabidopsis xylan in which about 60% of GlcA side chains are methylated. Genes responsible for methylation of GlcA side chains in Populus xylan have not been identified. Here, we report genetic and biochemical analyses of four DUF579 domain-containing proteins, PtrGXM1, PtrGXM2, PtrGXM3 and PtrGXM4, from Populus trichocarpa and their roles in GlcA methylation in xylan. The PtrGXM genes were found to be highly expressed in wood-forming cells and their encoded proteins were shown to be localized in the Golgi. When overexpressed in the Arabidopsis gxm1/2/3 triple mutant, PtrGXMs were able to partially complement the mutant phenotypes including defects in glucuronoxylan methyltransferase activity and GlcA methylation in xylan, indicating that PtrGXMs most likely function as glucuronoxylan methyltransferases. Direct evidence was provided by enzymatic analysis of recombinant PtrGXM proteins showing that they possessed a methyltransferase activity capable of transferring the methyl group onto GlcA-substituted xylooligomers. Kinetic analysis showed that PtrGXMs exhibited differential affinities toward the GlcA-substituted xylooligomer acceptor with PtrGXM3 and PtrGXM4 having 10 times higher Km values than PtrGXM1 and PtrGXM2. Together, these findings indicate that PtrGXMs are methyltransferases mediating GlcA methylation in Populus xylan during wood formation.},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0087370},
journal = {PLoS ONE},
number = 2,
volume = 9,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Feb 11 00:00:00 EST 2014},
month = {Tue Feb 11 00:00:00 EST 2014}
}
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Works referencing / citing this record:
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