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J Exp Bot. 2014 Oct; 65(18): 5125–5160.
Published online 2014 Jul 23. doi: 10.1093/jxb/eru272
PMCID: PMC4400535
PMID: 25056773

Homogalacturonan-modifying enzymes: structure, expression, and roles in plants

Associated Data

Supplementary Materials

Summary

Modifications of pectins by various homogalacturonan-modifying enzymes (HGMEs), such as PME, PAE, PG, and PLL, are key elements of plant development and plant responses to biotic stresses.

Key words: Biotic stress, development, homogalacturonans, pectate lyase-like, pectin methylesterase, pectins, polygalacturonase.

Abstract

Understanding the changes affecting the plant cell wall is a key element in addressing its functional role in plant growth and in the response to stress. Pectins, which are the main constituents of the primary cell wall in dicot species, play a central role in the control of cellular adhesion and thereby of the rheological properties of the wall. This is likely to be a major determinant of plant growth. How the discrete changes in pectin structure are mediated is thus a key issue in our understanding of plant development and plant responses to changes in the environment. In particular, understanding the remodelling of homogalacturonan (HG), the most abundant pectic polymer, by specific enzymes is a current challenge in addressing its fundamental role. HG, a polymer that can be methylesterified or acetylated, can be modified by HGMEs (HG-modifying enzymes) which all belong to large multigenic families in all species sequenced to date. In particular, both the degrees of substitution (methylesterification and/or acetylation) and polymerization can be controlled by specific enzymes such as pectin methylesterases (PMEs), pectin acetylesterases (PAEs), polygalacturonases (PGs), or pectate lyases-like (PLLs). Major advances in the biochemical and functional characterization of these enzymes have been made over the last 10 years. This review aims to provide a comprehensive, up to date summary of the recent data concerning the structure, regulation, and function of these fascinating enzymes in plant development and in response to biotic stresses.

Key words: Biotic stress, development, homogalacturonans, pectate lyase-like, pectin methylesterase, pectins, polygalacturonase.

Introduction

The growth of plant organs involves cell expansion and cell division. Although the regulation of cell division is relatively well understood, very little is known about the control of cell expansion. It is driven by turgor pressure and notably depends on changes in the extensibility of the primary cell wall. In dicotyledonous species, such as the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, the primary cell wall consists of a hydrogen-bonded network of cellulose microfibrils and xyloglucans (XyGs) embedded in a complex pectic and protein matrix (Carpita and Gibeaut, 1993). Cell growth requires creep between cellulose and XyG, which is facilitated by the presence of specific proteins such as expansins (Rose et al., 2002; Cosgrove, 2005). In addition, in dicots and gymnosperms, secondary growth and biomass production involve the synthesis of large amounts of lignified secondary cell wall.

Pectins, which control cell wall porosity and hydration level as well as cellular adhesion, are known to show structural variation during growth and in response to stresses (Willats et al., 2001). Recent findings underline the importance of pectins in the control of cell expansion and differentiation, presumably through changes in the rheological properties of the cell wall. Pectins, which are complex polysaccharides rich in galacturonic acid (Gal-A), contain distinct domains—homogalacturonans (HGs), rhamnogalacturonans I (RGIs), rhamnogalacturonans II (RGIIs), and xylogalacturonans (XGs)—based on two molecular backbones and differing in the diversity of their side chains (Vincken et al., 2003; Mohnen, 2008; Burton et al., 2010). HG, one of the main pectic constituents, is a linear homopolymer of α-(1–4)-linked d-Gal-A, which can either be methylesterified at the C-6 carboxyl (typically 80%;Wolf et al., 2009b ) or carry acetyl groups at O2 or O3 (up to 10%; Gou et al., 2012). HG is synthesized from nucleotide sugars in the Golgi apparatus, and then secreted in a fully methylesterified form into the cell wall where its structure can be modified by the activity of cell wall enzymes. These will subsequently be referred to as HGMEs (HG-modifying enzymes), all of which, in A. thaliana, belong to large multigenic families. In particular, HGs can be modified by pectin methylesterases (PMEs; EC 3.1.1.11), whose activity is regulated by endogenous PMEIs (pectin methylesterase inhibitors) and which control the degree of methylesterification (DM) of HGs (Pelloux et al., 2007; Wolf et al., 2009b ). Pectin acetylesterases (PAEs; EC 3.1.1.6) play a similar role by hydrolysing the O-acetylated bonds. Overall, the partially demethylesterified HGs can either form Ca2+ bonds, which promote the development of the so-called ‘egg box’ structures that underlie the formation of pectin gels, or become a target for pectin-degrading enzymes such as polygalacturonases (endo-PGs, EC 3.2.1.15; and exo-PGs, EC 3.2.1.67) and pectate lyases-like (PLLs), including pectate lyases (endo-PLs, EC 4.2.2.2; and exo-PLs, EC 4.2.2.9) and pectin lyases (endo-PNLs; EC 4.2.2.10). In either case, the demethylesterification of HGs has dramatic consequences on the rheological properties of the cell wall (Peaucelle et al., 2011a, b ), and is predicted to affect cell growth. In addition, the hydrolysis of partially demethylesterified HGs can release oligogalacturonides (OGs) with a signalling function, for instance during plant–pathogen interactions (Lionetti et al., 2007; Osorio et al., 2008) or in modulating growth by inhibiting auxin-induced processes such as stem elongation, rhizogenesis, and flower and stomata formation (Ridley et al., 2001; Falasca et al., 2008; Camejo et al., 2011). However, to date, the presence of endogenous OGs in planta has remained elusive.

This review describes the most recent findings concerning the biochemical characterization of HGMEs and highlights the diversity of their roles during plant development and in responses to biotic stresses.

Inventory and structure of HGMEs

All HGMEs belong to large multigenic families

An analysis of the data generated by sequencing projects shows that all HGMEs belong to rather large multigenic families in several plant species [CAZy, http://www.cazy.org/ (Cantarel et al., 2009); Cell Wall Genomics, http://cellwall.genomics.purdue.edu/; TAIR, http://www.arabidopsis.org/]. For instance, in dicotyledonous species such as A. thaliana and poplar (Populus trichocarpa), 66 and 88 open reading frames (ORFs) have been annotated, respectively, as putative full-length PMEs (Geisler-Lee et al., 2006; Pelloux et al., 2007). In contrast, in grass species such as Brachypodium distachyon and rice (Oryza sativa japonica group), only 41 putative PME-encoding genes have been identified for both species (Table 1). This lower number of PME genes in grass species is likely to be related to the differences in the structure of cell wall polysaccharides between poales and dicots. In particular, HGs are known to be much less abundant and less methylesterified in grass species (Carpita and Gibeaut, 1993; Vogel, 2008; Burton et al., 2010). The need for HGMEs would therefore be more limited and could explain the differences in the figures observed between type I and type II cell wall species when considering other HGMEs such as PGs and PLLs (Table 1). Surprisingly, regarding the PAE gene family, dicotyledonous and grass species have largely the same number of isoforms, with 12, 10, 7, and 11 ORFs annotated as a putative PAE for A. thaliana, P. trichocarpa, B. distachyon, and O. sativa japonica group, respectively (Table 1). The large difference between the number of PME and PAE isoforms in dicots could be related to the occurrence of specific substrates. HGs are known to be highly methylesterified (up to 80%; Wolf et al., 2009b ) while their degree of acetylation (DA) falls within the range of 0.25–10% (Gou et al., 2012) depending on the species. In addition to HG, a number of plant cell wall polysaccharides, such as RGIs, XyGs, and glucuronoarabinoxylans (GAXs), can be O-acetylated (Kiefer et al., 1989; Ishii, 1997; Kabel et al., 2003; Fry, 2004; Gibeaut et al., 2005; Gille and Pauly, 2012). The large amount of GAX and the presence of O-acetyl-substituents observed in grass species (Carpita and Gibeaut, 1993; Vogel, 2008; Burton et al., 2010) could thus constitute targets for PAE activity. The diversity of putative targets for PAEs would therefore explain the relatively similar number of isoforms between type I and type II cell wall species.

Table 1.

Inventory of the PME, PAE, PG, and PLL isoforms in four sequenced plant species

SpeciesPectin methylesterase (EC 3.1.1.11) CE8Pectin acetylesterase (EC 3.1.1.6) CE13Endo-polygalacturonase (EC 3.2.1.15), exo- polygalacturonase (EC 3.2.1.67), exo- polygalacturonosidase (EC 3.2.1.82), rhamnogalacturonase (EC 3.2.1.171), endo- xylogalacturonan hydrolase (EC 3.2.1.–), rhamnogalacturonan α-l-rhamnopyranohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.40) GH28Endo-pectate lyase (EC 4.2.2.2), exo-pectate lyase (EC 4.2.2.9), endo-pectin lyase (EC 4.2.2.10) PL1
Arabidopsis thaliana (dicots)a 66126826
Populus trichocarpa (dicots)b 88108928
Brachypodium distachyon (monocots)c 417417
Oryza sativa Japonica group (monocots)d 41104512

a Full-length Arabidopsis protein data were retrieved from Cell Wall Genomics (http://cellwall.genomics.purdue.edu/), CAZy (http://www.cazy.org/), TAIR (http://www.arabidopsis.org/), the PFAM database (http://pfam.sanger.ac.uk/), Tian et al. (2006), Gonzalez-Carranza et al. (2012), Sun and Van Nocker (2010), and Cao (2012).

b Populus protein information were retrieved from Geisler-Lee et al. (2006).

c Brachypodium protein data were retrieved from the International Brachypodium Initiative (2010), Tyler et al. (2010), and Davidson et al. (2012).

d Full length Oryza protein sequence information were retrieved from Cell Wall Genomics (http://cellwall.genomics.purdue.edu/), CAZy (http://www.cazy.org/), and Davidson et al. (2012).

The CAZy code for each family protein was retrieved from CAZy (http://www.cazy.org/).

In order to act on HGs in muro, HGMEs, which are synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum and post-translationally modified in the Golgi apparatus (glycosylation and other modifications), must be secreted into the cell wall by exocytosis (Wolf et al., 2009a, b ; Worden et al., 2012). Several isoforms have been shown to be present in the cell wall proteome (Borderies et al., 2003; Boudart et al., 2005; Charmont et al., 2005; Irshad et al., 2008; Jamet et al., 2009). A signal peptide and/or a transmembrane domain at the N-terminus enables their secretion. Analysis of HGME sequences in A. thaliana and O. sativa japonica group reveals that the majority of sequences (65% and 57%, respectively) show a signal peptide (SP). Many sequences also possess a transmembrane domain (TM; 24% and 22%, respectively) and some possess both (Supplementary Table S1 available at JXB online). Surprisingly, for each family, a number of putative soluble isoforms can be identified. The proportion of soluble protein is higher in grass species (17%) than in dicot species (8%). The targets and the functional role of these soluble isoforms remain to be determined. The biochemical characterization of a soluble AtPME suggested that it could act in defence mechanisms against pathogens (Dedeurwaerder et al., 2009).

Structure of HGMEs

To date, among plant HGMEs, 3D crystallographic structures have only been resolved for carrot and tomato PMEs (Johansson et al., 2002; D’Avino et al., 2003; Di Matteo et al., 2005). The first crystallization of bacterial PME from Erwinia chrisanthemi was previously performed (Jenkins et al. 2001), and its co-crystallization with HGs helped in determining the key amino acids involved at the catalytic site in enzyme–substrate interactions (Fries et al., 2007). This study not only highlighted the hydrolysis mechanism, but also the processive action of Erwinia PME (Fries et al., 2007). So far, no PGs and PLs from plants have been resolved at their structural level. However, 3D crystallographic structures of PLs (Pickersgill et al., 1994; Yoder and Jurnak, 1995; Lietzke et al., 1996; Jenkins and Pickersgill, 2001; Jenkins et al., 2004; Creze et al., 2008; Seyedarabi et al., 2010; Zheng et al., 2012) and PGs (Pickersgill et al., 1998; Van Santen et al., 1999; Cho et al., 2001; Jenkins and Pickersgill, 2001; Van Pouderoyen et al., 2003; Bonivento et al., 2007) from plant pathogens are available (PDB Protein Data Bank http://www.rcsb.org/pdb/home/home.do; Punta et al., 2012). Identification of structural motifs was inferred from these structures, enabling models of plant PGs and PLLs to be generated (PFAM database http://pfam.sanger.ac.uk/). The structure of plant PAEs has not yet been resolved.

In A. thaliana, 66 PME isoforms are divided into two groups (Pelloux et al., 2007; Dedeurwaerder et al., 2009). The first, called group 1 (or type II), is composed of 21 isoforms that contain a mature active part (PME catalytic domain, Pfam01095), either preceded by different targeting motifs (SP for 14 sequences, SP/TM for 1 sequence, TM for 3 sequences) or without a motif for three soluble isoforms (Fig. 1A). In previous publications (Tian et al., 2006; Pelloux et al., 2007), two group 2 PMEs (At3g10720 and At4g33220) were considered to be group 1 PMEs as the protein sequences used to determine domains were truncated. The second group, so-called group 2 (or type I), is composed of 45 isoforms which have, in addition to the mature part, an N-terminal extension (PRO region) showing similarities with the PMEI domain (Pfam04043). As for group 1 PMEs, different targeting motifs can be identified for the 44 sequences, one being predicted to be soluble (Fig. 1A). Figures for other species are shown in Supplementary Table S1 at JXB online. Among group 2 PMEs, 43 isoforms show conserved dibasic amino acid sequences (such as RRLL, RKLL, KKDL, RKLM, RRLM, RKLA, RKLK, RKLR, and RRML) upstream of the mature active part, which could constitute one or more proteolytic cleavage sites. This domain, the so-called processing motif (PM), could be targeted by subtilisin-like proteases (SBTs; 56 isoforms in Arabidopsis) during PME trans-Golgi trafficking (Wolf et al., 2009a ; Schaller et al., 2012). A large number of group 2 PMEs and SBTs are co-expressed during development and in response to stresses. Processing of group 2 PMEs was shown to be a prerequisite for the secretion of active enzymes in the cell wall (Wolf et al., 2009a ) and it was suggested that the PRO region could prevent group 2 PME activity during their transport through the secretory pathway (Bosch and Hepler, 2005; Bosch et al., 2005; Dorokhov et al., 2006). These results are notably backed up by the fact that, in the cell wall proteome, identified PMEs often lack this domain (E. Jamet, personal communication).

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Arabidopsis PME (A) and PG (B) structural motifs. The domains, average size of proteins in amino acid (AA), isoelectric point (pI), and molecular weight (MW) ranges of representative members are indicated according to the PFAM database (http://pfam.sanger.ac.uk/), SignalP4.0 (http://www.cbs.dtu.dk/services/SignalP/), and ExPASyProtParam Tool (http://web.expasy.org/protparam/).

When considering AtPGs, the majority of the sequences show a single glycosyl hydrolase family 28 domain (GH28; Pfam00295). This is preceded by a targeting motif at the N-terminus for 59 isoforms, while five isoforms are predicted as soluble (Fig. 1B). Among PG isoforms, there are also four atypical protein sequences, three of which harbour two GH28 domains and one with a reverse transcriptase-like 3 domain (RVT3; Pfam13456) downstream of the GH28 domain. Two asparagine and histidine residues have been identified in the GH28 domain for 53 sequences. One ORF, previously annotated as putative PG QRT3 (At4g20050; Rhee et al., 2003), lacks the GH28 domain but has a pectate lyase 3 domain (Pfam12708). The number of putative PGs would therefore be 67, in line with recent published data (Cao, 2012).

For AtPLLs, all the sequences annotated as PL (26 sequences) show a Pec_lyase_C domain (Pfam00544), and only three isoforms are predicted as soluble proteins (Fig. 2A). This multigenic family also has specific features, with the presence of an N-terminal domain, called Pec_lyase_N (Pfam04431), in four sequences. Lastly, one protein (At3g54920 or PMR6), which plays a role in powdery mildew resistance, shows an additional C-terminal glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor site, which may be responsible for this resistance (Vogel et al., 2002; Sun and Van Nocker, 2010).

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Arabidopsis PLL (A) and PAE (B) structural motifs. The domains, average size of proteins in amino acid (AA), isoelectric point (pI), and molecular weight (MW) ranges of representative members are indicated according to the PFAM database (http://pfam.sanger.ac.uk/), SignalP4.0 (http://www.cbs.dtu.dk/services/SignalP/), and ExPASyProtParam Tool (http://web.expasy.org/protparam/).

Concerning AtPAE, all 12 annotated sequences have a PAE domain (Pfam03283) and N-terminal targeting motifs (SP, TM, or SP/TM) (Fig. 2B). No isoform is predicted to be soluble.

HGMEs display distinct patterns of expression

A number of isoforms are co-expressed

Analysis of public microarray data sets for all genes encoding HGMEs has led to the identification of several non-exhaustive co-expression clusters in A. thaliana (Genevestigator, http://www.genevestigator.com; Hruz et al., 2008). For instance, for the six clusters reported in this review, a number of genes encoding PME, PAE, PG, and PLL are co-expressed (Fig. 3). In cluster 1, six PME genes, five PAE genes, three PG genes, and 11 PLL genes are mainly co-expressed in seedlings, leaf, and root tissues. In contrast, the majority of these genes are not expressed in seed-related tissues. In this cluster, ~42% of PAE and PLL genes are present. Cluster 2 contains only PME and PG genes specifically expressed in root tissue, while cluster 3 shows PME, PAE, PG, and PLL genes expressed in all tissues selected for the analysis apart from roots. Cluster 4 comprises PME, PG, and PLL genes specifically co-expressed in pollen. The expression and roles of At1g69940, At2g47030, At2g47040, and At3g62170 in pollen germination and pollen tube growth have been highlighted (Jiang et al., 2005; Röckel et al., 2008; Wolf et al., 2009b ; Mollet et al., 2013). In addition, several genes encoding PGs, PMEs, and PLLs are expressed in anthers (Gonzalez-Carranza et al., 2002, 2007; Rhee et al., 2003; Jiang et al., 2005; Francis et al., 2006; Wolf et al., 2009b ; Sun and Van Nocker, 2010) with the encoded proteins, namely AtPME At5g55590 and putative AtPG At4g20050, playing a role in pollen grain formation and tetrad separation (Rhee et al., 2003; Francis et al., 2006). Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis in the stamen abscission zone of Arabidopsis revealed a co-expression between PAE, PME, PG, and PLL genes (Lashbrook and Cai, 2008). In cluster 5, a few PME, PAE, PG, and PLL genes exhibit a ubiquitous expression. Interestingly, a small cluster composed of three PME genes only expressed in general and chalazal seed coat was also identified. It could relate to the emerging roles of PME–PMEI-mediated control of the DM of HG in mucilage structure and extrusion (Rautengarten et al., 2008; Arsovski et al., 2010; Saez-Aguayo et al., 2013 Voiniciuc et al., 2013). From this analysis, it appears that neither PAE nor PLL genes are specifically expressed in root and seed coat. In addition, no PAE genes appear to be solely expressed in pollen. In contrast, PME genes are identified in all of these clusters, potentially highlighting the major role of the control of the DM of HG in a large range of vegetative and reproductive developmental processes. Overall, this analysis shows that the control of HG structure and chemistry is likely to be a highly integrated process involving, in some developmental processes, several different HGMEs.

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Clustering analysis of PME, PAE, PG, and PLL mRNA expression during development in A. thaliana. PME (red circles), PAE (green circles), PG (orange circles), and PLL (blue circles) are shown together. Microarray data and cluster analysis was carried out using Genevestigator (https://www.genevestigator.com/gv/; Hruz et al., 2008). Only some specific tissues were selected. Probes with a single gene and genes showing a minimal expression were used for the cluster analysis. In all clusters, for each HGME family, the proportion (%) of genes expressed among all family members is indicated.

Regulation of HGME gene expression through hormone signalling

The gene expression of a number of HGMEs has been shown to be modulated, either directly or indirectly, through hormone signalling. A number of publications related to the analysis of phytohormone signalling, including mutants in hormone synthesis pathways and/or hormone application, report changes in the expression of several genes encoding HGMEs (Goda, 2004; Vanneste et al., 2005; Che et al., 2006; Laskowski et al., 2006; Derbyshire et al., 2007; Palusa et al., 2007; Swarup et al., 2008; Quesada et al., 2009; Curvers et al., 2010; Kanai et al., 2010; Di Matteo et al., 2010; Sun et al., 2010; Osorio et al., 2011a ; Savatin et al., 2011; Ribeiro et al., 2012; Braybrook and Peaucelle, 2013). This has consequences on the structure of HGs affecting plant development. It has also been shown that local auxin accumulation at the shoot apex of A. thaliana leads to local demethylesterification of HG, suggesting a role for auxin in the control of PME activity (Braybrook and Peaucelle, 2013). Several expression data sets reveal that auxin specifically regulates the expression of PME, PAE, PG, and PLL genes during various developmental events, such as lateral root emergence (Vanneste et al., 2005; Laskowski et al., 2006; Swarup et al., 2008), adventitious root formation (Savatin et al., 2011), fruit development (Quesada et al., 2009; Osorio et al., 2011a ), and seedling development (Goda et al., 2004; Palusa et al., 2007). In addition, in the latter study, PME, PAE, and PG genes appeared to be up-regulated by brassinosteroids (BRs). Potential regulation of PME expression by BRs was also observed in the transcriptome analysis of mutant lines for the Arabidopsis transcription factor AtBZR1, responsible for regulating the expression of specific target genes involved in developmental processes as diverse as cell elongation and root development. Based on these results, AtPME2 and AtPME3 were identified as putative targets of AtBZR1 (Sun et al., 2010). The regulation of AtPME41 gene expression during chilling stress in atbzr1-1D and atbri1, two mutants of the BR signalling pathway, together with the recent data obtained using a PMEI overexpressor, reinforce the hypothesis of the control of PME by BRs (Qu et al., 2011; Wolf et al., 2012b ). When considering other HGMEs, it has been shown that auxin, together with cytokinins, has an effect on the expression of PLL and PGIP (PG inhibitor protein) genes in shoot, root, and callus development in Arabidopsis tissue culture (Che et al., 2006). In general, it is likely that all phytohormones directly or indirectly control HGME gene expression. For instance, gibberellic acids (GAs) have an effect on the expression of genes encoding PLLs and PMEs during rosette expansion in A. thaliana (Ribeiro et al., 2012). This is consistent with results showing a change in PME activity and in the DM of pectins in GA-deficient mutants over the course of hypocotyl growth (Derbyshire et al., 2007). Abscisic acid (ABA) can also regulate development, through the modulation of changes in pectin. For example, ABA-deficient tomato mutants cause changes in pectin composition, including levels of Gal-A (Curvers et al., 2010). This could be related to changes in the expression/activity of pectin-degrading enzymes such as PLLs, known to be regulated by this phytohormone (Palusa et al., 2007), or in the expression of the gene encoding PGIP, which was suggested to control PG activity during germination (Kanai et al., 2010). Identification of the major involvement of HGMEs in changes in fruit texture during maturation has prompted research into the role of ethylene in regulating their gene expression. Early work on tomato (Gaffe et al., 1994) and banana (Musa acuminata) showed that PME and PL gene expression is ethylene dependent (Dominguez-Puigjaner et al., 1997) during fruit maturation. More recently, several genes encoding PME, PMEI, PG, and PLL were shown to be strongly expressed in the early stages of banana ripening, a period corresponding to the burst in ethylene production (Mbéguié-A-Mbéguié et al., 2009; Srivastava et al., 2012). In tomato, the expression of one PME and one PG gene was associated with inhibition of ripening, when the ethylene receptor Never-ripe was mutated (Osorio et al., 2011b ). Similarly, the overexpression of the FaPE1 gene, encoding a PME from strawberry (Fragaria vesca), led to up-regulation of the expression of one gene involved in the ethylene response (Osorio et al., 2011a ). In distinct species, several PG genes showed specific changes in gene expression, which were ethylene dependent in oil palm (Roongsattham et al., 2012). The role of ethylene in the control of HGME gene expression might go beyond the specific case of fleshy fruit maturation as the Arabidopsis transcription factor AtRAP2.6L (a member of the ethylene response factor family), which has a function in shoot regeneration, targets the AtPG gene At3g15720, which was down-regulated in the atrap2.6l T-DNA mutant (Che et al., 2006). These regulation pathways, in particular that of auxin, may be controlled through OG-mediated negative feedback (Ferrari et al., 2013). The antagonism between auxin and OGs has previously been shown during root formation in tobacco (Bellincampi et al., 1993) and by using exogenous OGs in maize seedlings (Peña-Uribe et al., 2012). Exogenous OGs inhibit the expression of auxin-induced genes (IAA5, SAUR16, etc.), leading to inhibition of adventitious root formation (Savatin et al., 2011). Inhibition by OGs targets late rather than early auxin-responsive genes (Mauro et al., 2002). In A. thaliana, a few PME and PG genes showed significant changes in expression in response to treatment with OGs, which could be associated with calcium signalling pathways (Moscatiello et al., 2006).

Regulation of biochemical activity

Mode of action and regulation of plant PMEs

As shown previously, PMEs are commonly present in plants and microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria (Giovane et al., 2004; Pelloux et al., 2007). In plants, several neutral and basic isoforms (Micheli, 2001; Giovane et al., 2004; Verlent et al., 2007; Jolie et al., 2010; Dixit et al., 2013), as well as a few acidic isoforms (Lin et al., 1989; Bordenave and Goldberg, 1994; Mareck et al., 1995; Micheli et al., 2000; Ding et al., 2000, 2002; Thonar et al., 2006), have been identified. Although all isoforms catalyse the specific hydrolysis of methylester bonds at C-6 from Gal-A residues, and the subsequent formation of free carboxyl groups, release of methanol (MeOH), and acidification of the cell wall (Micheli, 2001; Giovane et al., 2004; Pelloux et al., 2007; Jolie et al., 2010), PME activity is dependent upon a rather large range of factors. For instance, the presence of free carboxyl groups near the active site appears to be required for enzyme action, which might explain the affinity of PME for partially demethylesterified HG (Rexova-Benkova and Markovic, 1976; Bordenave, 1996; Grasdalen et al., 1996; Van Alebeek et al., 2003; Fries et al., 2007). The reaction mechanism of PMEs, which act as monomers according to resolved crystallographic structures (Johansson et al., 2002; Di Matteo et al., 2005; Fries et al., 2007), consists of a nucleophilic attack and an acid/base catalysis by conserved aspartate catalytic residues on the carbonyl carbon of the C-6 methylester of Gal-A (Fries et al., 2007). Co-crystallization between Erwinia PME and various substrates highlighted a preference towards substrates with an alternation of methylesterified and non-methylesterified Gal-A residues, corresponding to partially methylesterified HGs. Consequently, the presence of methylesterified Gal-A residues upstream and non-methylesterified Gal-A residues downstream of the catalytic site could determine the processive action of Erwinia PME (Fries et al., 2007). Moreover, recent results using molecular dynamics approaches on the Erwinia PME suggest that the rotation of the substrate is necessary for access to the subsequent site and the processive demethylesterification of HG by the enzyme (Mercadante et al., 2013). A similar mechanism could be hypothesized for plant PMEs that have a similar mode of action.

Several factors can affect plant PME activity, which appears to be very sensitive to changes in pH and in the concentrations of cations (Catoire et al., 1998; Denès et al., 2000; Ly-Nguyen et al., 2004; Do Amaral et al., 2005; Verlent et al., 2007; Jolie et al., 2009; Dixit et al., 2013). The effect of pH on PME activity may be related to the pI of the isoforms, which is neutral to alkaline for most plant and bacterial PMEs and acidic to neutral for fungal PMEs. In an acidic environment, alkaline plant PMEs may be positively charged and poorly active due to a strong interaction between PMEs and the negatively charged free carboxyl groups of HG. This has consequent effects on growth (Fig. 4). In contrast, at slightly alkaline pH, basic isoforms are less positively charged and can be released from the substrate due to electrostatic repulsion between the enzyme and the free carboxyl groups (Bordenave, 1996; Jolie et al., 2010). However, as some acidic plant PMEs have been identified in various species such as flax (Mareck et al., 1995), mung bean (Bordenave and Goldberg, 1994), jelly fig (Lin et al., 1989; Ding et al., 2000, 2002), chicory (Thonar et al., 2006), and aspen (Micheli et al., 2000), distinct scenarios are likely to occur in the cell wall (Fig. 4). Thus, the control of the DM of pectins probably depends on the recruitment of specific PME pools, according to the DM of the substrate, the pI of the isoforms, and the pH microenvironment at the cell wall. Therefore, depending on the patterns of demethylesterification produced, the properties of pectin are likely to be modified and could differentially affect cell wall rheology and cell growth (Fig. 4).

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Schematic diagram showing the regulation of HGME pools in distinct cell wall microenvironments and consequent effects on growth. In the presence of auxin, the auxin-binding protein 1 (ABP1) receptor, localized at the plasma membrane (PM), activates Ca2+ and K+ influx into the cytoplasm (Philippar et al., 1999, 2004; Shishova and Lindberg, 2010; Perrot-Rechenmann, 2010; Tromas et al., 2010; Sauer and Kleine-Vehn, 2011) as well as H+-ATPase, leading to H+ efflux into the cell wall and acidification of the apoplasm (Perrot-Rechenmann, 2010; Tromas et al., 2010; Sauer and Kleine-Vehn, 2011). In parallel, auxin imported into the cytoplasm through AUX1/LAX penetrates the nucleus, where it acts on the expression of auxin-regulated genes via the action of TIR1, AUX/IAA, and ARF proteins (Robert and Friml, 2009; Shishova and Lindberg, 2010; Hayashi, 2012). ABP1 can induce downstream responses by regulating gene expression (Rayle and Cleland, 1992; Rober-Kleber et al., 2003; Perrot-Rechenmann, 2010; Monshausen et al., 2011), including that of HGME genes (Vanneste et al., 2005; Laskowski et al., 2006; Swarup et al., 2008). PMEs (red, green), PAEs (yellow), PNLs (dark purple), PGs (orange), and PMEIs (blue) are synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and matured in the trans-Golgi network (TGN), before secretion into the cell wall (Wolf et al., 2009b ; De Caroli et al., 2011a, b ). In parallel, HGs are synthesized in the cis-Golgi by galacturonosyltransferases (GAUTs), methylesterified and acetylated by pectin methyltransferases (PMTs) and pectin acetyltransferases (PATs), respectively, in the medial-Golgi, and secreted into the cell wall as highly methylesterified (HM) and slightly acetylated (SA) forms (Atmodjo et al., 2013). In an acidic cell wall context (left), basic PMEs (in green), which are the major PME isoforms, are strongly positively charged (represented by positive symbols) and can be trapped by free carboxyl groups (represented by negative symbols) (Jolie et al., 2010) (1). In parallel, acidic pH stimulates inhibition of basic PMEs by several PMEIs (Raiola et al., 2004). This leads to a decrease in HG demethylesterification. HGs can become targets of PG and PNL, which depolymerize HGs, leading to the release of OGs, cell wall loosening, and rapid growth. In the same conditions, acidic PMEs (in red) are neutrally charged (represented by positive and negative symbols) and can act on HGs by multiple chain demethylesterification and/or be inhibited by PMEIs (2) (Catoire et al., 1998; Denès et al., 2000). Following PME action, PAEs can deacetylate HGs (Williamson, 1991; Bordenave et al., 1995). Randomly demethylesterified and deacetylated HGs are depolymerized by PGs and PNLs (Pressey and Avants, 1973; Themmen et al., 1982; Mayans et al., 1997; Protsenko et al., 2008), leading to the release of OGs, cell wall loosening, and rapid growth. OGs can increase the apoplasmic pH and control gene expression through binding to membrane receptors such as PBD-EGF-EGF-WAK1 (Wolf et al., 2012a ; Ferrari et al., 2013). In the absence of auxin (right), H+ is not imported into the cell wall, and Ca2+ and K+ are not exported into the cytoplasm. Consequently, the cell wall is slightly alkaline with a high ionic concentration. Auxin-independent HGME genes can be expressed, generating distinct pools. In these conditions, acidic PMEs (in red) are strongly negatively charged (represented by negative symbols). By electrostatic repulsion with the free carboxyl group, acidic PMEs cannot bind to their substrate. In parallel, basic PMEs (in green) are less positively or neutrally charged (represented by positive and negative symbols) and can bind to HG HM/SA (Jolie et al., 2010). Slightly alkaline pH can decrease PME–PMEI complex formation and stability, but other PMEIs showing various pH sensitivities can be stimulated and inhibit acidic and basic PMEs (Raiola et al., 2004). Basic PMEs perform the demethylesterification of the HG HM/SA, by single chain or multiple attacks, leading to processively demethylesterified HG (Catoire et al., 1998; Denès et al., 2000; Ngouémazong et al., 2012). PAEs could subsequently act on processively demethylesterified HGs (Williamson, 1991; Bordenave et al., 1995). Depending on Ca2+ content and PG/PL presence, processively demethylesterified and deacetylated HGs can form so-called egg box structures through binding with Ca2+, leading to cell wall strengthening and growth retardation (3). Several basic PGs and PLs, stimulated by Ca2+ (Pressey and Avants, 1973; Themmen et al., 1982; Protsenko et al., 2008; Chotigeat et al., 2009; Wang et al., 2010), can depolymerize HG to form OGs, which could increase apoplasmic pH and lead to residual growth. The egg box and OGs can regulate gene expression through their binding to membrane receptor such as PBD-EGF-EGF-WAK1 (Wolf et al., 2012a; Ferrari et al., 2013). Otherwise, in acidic or slightly alkaline cell wall contexts, basic PMEs, positively or neutrally charged, could be more sensitive to the ionic environment than acidic PMEs. Particularly in a slightly alkaline cell wall context, basic PMEs could be in competition with cations such as K+ (pink circle) and Ca2+ (light blue circle) for interaction with free carboxyl groups of HG, avoiding basic PME trapping by processively demethylesterified HG. The solid arrows correspond to the actions taking place in the presence of auxin (purple circle), whereas dotted arrows represent the lack of action when there is no auxin signal.

In plants, cations are often essential for PME activity (Jolie et al., 2010). Although some salt-independent plant PME isoforms have been described, PME activity normally increases up to an optimal cation concentration, above which it decreases (Do Amaral et al., 2005; Verlent et al., 2007; Jolie et al., 2009; Videcoq et al., 2011; Dixit et al., 2013). This optimal concentration is highly dependent upon the type of cation. For example, some salts, such as NaCl or KCl, have a positive effect on the activity up to a certain range of concentration, while others, such as LiCl, are strong inhibitors regardless of the concentration (Do Amaral et al., 2005; Verlent et al., 2007; Dixit et al., 2013). This latter effect is related to competition between cations and positively charged PMEs for interaction with the free carboxyl groups of HG (Fig. 4). In acidic or slightly alkaline cell wall contexts, basic PMEs, positively charged, could be more sensitive to the ionic environment than acidic PMEs.

Different modes of action of plant PMEs have been reported. Three mechanisms have been described: (i) a single-chain mechanism, where PMEs remove all contiguous methylesters from a single chain of HG before dissociating from the substrate; (ii) a multiple-attack mechanism, in which several PMEs catalyse the release of a limited number of methylesters on several chains of HG; these two modes of action produce similar processively demethylesterified HG and are often attributed to basic PMEs, in plants and in bacteria (Johansson et al., 2002; Willats et al., 2006; Jolie et al., 2010); (iii) a multiple-chain mechanism, where PMEs remove only one methylester before dissociating from Gal-A. This mechanism is likely to be that of acidic PMEs in plants and in fungi (Aspergillus sp.) and allows a random demethylesterification (Micheli, 2001; Johansson et al., 2002; Willats et al., 2006; Jolie et al., 2010). However, fungal PME from Trichoderma reesei shows a processive demethylesterification. Thus these different modes of action are probably dependent upon several factors including the enzyme properties characterized by the pH and ionic environment as well as the substrate specificity, rather than the origin of PMEs (Denès et al., 2000; Johansson et al., 2002; Videcoq et al., 2011). In fact, the action of apple PME has been shown to be pH dependent, with a possible shift between a blockwise and non-blockwise mode of action (Catoire et al., 1998). In addition, the activity of isoforms can vary for the same given substrate (Ly-Nguyen et al., 2004; Do Amaral et al., 2005; Jolie et al., 2009).

Plant PMEs can also be regulated by inhibition of their activities by proteinaceous or non-proteinaceous compounds. Protein inhibitors of plant PMEs (PMEIs) can form a stoichiometric 1:1 complex with PMEs (Di Matteo et al., 2005), leading to an inhibition of PME activity which is dependent on the pH and ionic environment of the cell wall (Bellincampi et al., 2004; Giovane et al., 2004; Raiola et al., 2004). Like PMEs, PMEIs belong to large multigenic families in plants, which further questions the occurrence of specific PME–PMEI pairs in the cell wall. Non-proteinaceous compounds include a wide range of substances including OGs, iodine, detergents, tannins, phenolic acids, glycerol, some sugars, and epigallocatechingallate (Rexova-Benkova and Markovic, 1976; Lewis et al., 2008).

Regulation of biochemical activity of plant PAEs

In plant cell walls, several polysaccharides such as pectins, XyGs, xylans, and mannans can be acetylated (Ishii, 1997; Ralet et al., 2005; Scheller and Ulvskov, 2010; Orfila et al., 2012). However, acetyl groups are not distributed homogeneously in the cell wall, and for pectins they are mainly clustered in specific regions of HG and RG-I, as shown in sugar beet (Ralet et al., 2005; Orfila et al., 2012). Gal-A residues from RG-I can be O-acetylated at the O2 and/or O3 positions (Ishii, 1997), while Gal-A from the HG backbone can be O-acetylated at the O2 or O3 position, but not di-acetylated (Ralet et al., 2005). In the HG backbone, the simultaneous presence of acetyl and methyl groups on the same Gal-A residues is observed infrequently, but might influence either PME or PAE activities (Ralet et al., 2005). Several investigations have indicated an effect of acetylation on pectin properties. The presence of acetyl groups on Gal-A of HG has an effect on cell wall viscosity (Gou et al., 2012; Orfila et al., 2012) and impairs the formation of Ca2+ bonds between HG chains (Renard and Jarvis, 1999; Turquois et al., 1999). Acetylation can also hinder the degradation of HG by some endo-PGs (Bonnin et al., 2003). The deacetylation of HG by enzymatic activity is thus likely to be necessary to trigger changes in the cell wall mediating plant growth.

In this context, PAEs can act by specific hydrolysis of acetylester bonds at O2 and/or O3 from Gal-A residues, making up the linear HG and RG-I of pectins (Gou et al., 2012). Indeed, partial deacetylation of HG improved the gelation properties of sugar beet (Williamson, 1991; Ralet et al., 2003) and increased the enzymatic degradation of pectins (Biely et al., 1986; Schols and Voragen, 1994; Chen and Mort, 1996; Benen et al., 1999; Bonnin et al., 2003). PAE enzymes have been identified in plants (Williamson, 1991; Bordenave et al., 1995; Christensen et al., 1996), bacteria (Shevchik and Hugouvieux-Cotte-Pattat, 1997; Bolvig et al., 2003; Shevchik and Hugouvieux-Cotte-Pattat, 2003), and fungi (Kauppinen et al., 1995; Bonnin et al., 2008). Generally, they act specifically on HG and RG-I polymers and seem to be inactive against acetyl groups present in XyGs, xylans, and mannans (Bolvig et al., 2003; Bonnin et al., 2008). This differentiates them from rhamnogalacturonan acetylesterase from Aspergillus aculeatus, which is highly specific for RG-I and does not deacetylate HG (Kauppinen et al., 1995). In Arabidopsis, the majority of PAE isoforms have a neutral to basic pI. Purified plant PAEs characterized from mung bean and orange, which are highly active against synthetic substrates such as triacetin and p-nitrophenyl acetate and sugar beet pectins, have an optimal activity at pH ranging from 5 to 6.5, depending on the substrates used in the assay (Williamson, 1991; Bordenave et al., 1995; Christensen et al., 1996). Moreover, PAE activity is increased when the substrate has previously been demethylesterified (Williamson, 1991; Bordenave et al., 1995; Oosterveld et al., 2000). Therefore, a synergistic effect between PME and PAE is likely to occur at the cell wall to mediate either egg box formation or degradation of HG by PGs and PLLs.

Mode of action and regulation of plant PGs

PGs belong to an enzyme family identified in plants (Pressey et al., 1973, 1977; Themmen et al., 1982; Nogota et al., 1993; Chun and Huber, 1998; Hadfield and Bennett, 1998; Pathak and Sanwal, 1998; Pathak et al., 2000; Verlent et al., 2004, 2005), herbivorous insects (Shen et al., 2003), and microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and nematodes (Pickersgill et al., 1998; Jaubert et al., 2002; André-Leroux et al., 2005; Jayani et al., 2005; Kars et al., 2005; Mertens and Bowman, 2011). Whatever their origin, PGs cleave by hydrolysing the α-(1–4) bonds linking d-Gal-A residues, mainly from the HG linear homopolymer (Brummell and Harpster, 2001; Verlent et al., 2005; Protsenko et al., 2008). In both plants and microorganisms, PGs are constituted of two types, the endo-PGs (EC 3.2.1.15) and the exo-PGs (EC 3.2.1.67) (Brummell and Harpster, 2001; Verlent et al., 2005; Protsenko et al., 2008). Generally, their activities increase with the decrease in the DM of HG (Thibault and Mercier, 1979; Bonnin et al., 2002). Consequently, and in agreement with previous comments, prior action of PME seems to be necessary to enable the degradation of HGs by plant PGs and, for the same DM, the pattern of demethylesterification could affect the action of plant PGs (Verlent et al., 2005). For example, PG isolated from tomato prefers HG previously demethylesterified blockwise by the endogenous PME of tomato, rather than randomly demethylesterified by the exogenous fungal PME of A. aculeatus (Verlent et al., 2005). More precisely, endo-PGs catalyse the hydrolytic cleavage of the α-(1–4) linkage between at least two demethylesterified Gal-A residues of the HG backbone with a random action pattern, leading to the formation of OGs of various degrees of polymerization (DPs; Verlent et al., 2005; Ferrari et al., 2013). In plants, endo-PGs particularly prefer HG with a chain region containing more than four demethylesterified Gal-A residues between methylesterified Gal-A (Clausen et al., 2003; Protsenko et al., 2008). Consequently, endo-PGs could act against HG demethylesterified blockwise, and the variation of the demethylesterification pattern may regulate the action of endo-PGs. In contrast, exo-PGs act only at the terminal position of the HG backbone to hydrolyse the α-(1–4) linkage, producing monogalacturonides (Verlent et al., 2005; Protsenko et al., 2008). In this case, they could act together against HG, which is partially, randomly, or blockwise demethylesterified at the terminal position.

In plants such as Arabidopsis, all isoforms have a pI varying from 4.8 to 9.8 (Cao, 2012), which could regulate their optimum activity depending on the pH and the ionic microenvironment. With regard to pH, several plant PGs have been partially purified from plants and biochemically characterized. Overall, like PGs from microorganisms such as Botrytis cinerea, that show optimal activities at approximately pH 4.5 (Kars et al., 2005), plant PGs prefer an acidic pH from 3.3 to 6 (Pressey et al., 1973, 1977; Themmen et al., 1982; Nogota et al., 1993; Chun and Huber, 1998; Pathak and Sanwal, 1998; Pathak et al., 2000; Verlent et al., 2004). Furthermore, the pH of optimal activity of plant PGs seems to be dependent on the ionic microenvironment. For example, PG purified from tomato shows an optimal activity at pH 4–4.5 with NaCl, compared with pH 5–6 in the presence of KCl (Chun and Huber, 1998). Other ions such as Cd2+ and Ca2+ could affect PG activity in Avena sativa (Pressey et al., 1977). Regarding Ca2+, an exo-PG from peach fruit is Ca2+ dependent (Pressey et al., 1973) as is an endo-PG from strawberry fruit because with EDTA, which chelates Ca2+ ions, PG activity is inhibited (Nogota et al., 1993). Nevertheless, not all plant PGs are Ca2+ dependent. For instance, among three PG isoforms isolated from banana, where two endo-PGs (PG1 and PG3) and one exo-PG (PG2) are characterized, only PG1 was shown to be activated by Ca2+ (Pathak et al., 1998). Consequently, ion dependence does not seem to be related to the mode of action of PGs (endo- or exo-PGs).

PG activity can also be inhibited by proteinaceous compounds (Juge, 2006; Protsenko et al., 2008). It has been widely demonstrated in plants that there are PGIPs directed against secreted pathogen PGs (Federici et al., 2001; Di Matteo et al., 2003; Ferrari et al., 2006; Oelofse et al., 2006; Sathiyaraj et al., 2010; Benedetti et al., 2011). Plant PGIPs are bound to HG substrate as a guardian, thus inhibiting pathogen PG activity by formation of a stoichiometric complex, which prevents access to the substrate (Spadoni et al., 2006). More precisely, when PGIPs interact with pathogen PG, the complex formed can move the substrate away, thus preventing PG action against the HG substrate (Spadoni et al., 2006). Moreover, it appears that PGIPs act mainly against endo-PGs from pathogens (Protsenko et al., 2008). This is confirmed by the mode of action of PGIPs, which bind strongly to HG demethylesterified blockwise, in contrast to HG randomly demethylesterified, and prevent the action of endo-PGs (Spadoni et al., 2006). Currently, limited data indicate a role for plant PGIPs in the regulation of plant PG activity and development. However, a recent publication shows changes in radicle protrusion in pgip1 mutants and PGIP1 overexpressors, probably caused by an alteration of Arabidopsis PG activity (Kanai et al., 2010).

Mode of action and regulation of plant PLLs

PLLs are mainly found in plants (Domingo et al., 1998; Chourasia et al., 2006; Chotigeat et al., 2009; Wang et al., 2010) and microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and nematodes (Popeijus et al., 2000; Jayani et al., 2005). They cleave, by β-elimination, the α-(1–4) bond linking methylesterified or non-methylesterified d-Gal-A units mainly from the HG backbone, giving rise to an unsaturated C4–C5 bond at the non-reducing end of the newly formed OG (Mayans et al., 1997; Pilnik and Rombouts, 1981). PLLs comprise the PL and PNL family of enzymes. PLs are more specific for non-methylesterified or slightly methylesterified HG and require Ca2+ for their activity whose optimal pH is near 8.5. In contrast, PNLs degrade highly methylesterified HG with an optimal pH of 5.5 for their activity and do not require Ca2+ (Mayans et al., 1997; Herron et al., 2000). PLs have both endo (EC 4.2.2.2) and exo (EC 4.2.2.9) activities, while only endo (EC 4.2.2.10) activity has been discovered for PNLs (Sinitsyna et al., 2007). PLs and PNLs are commonly found in microorganisms; fungi usually secrete PNLs (Sinitsyna et al., 2007) while bacteria produce predominantly PLs (Payasi and Sanwal, 2003).

To date, of PNLs and PLs, only PLs have been discovered and biochemically characterized in plants. For instance, the plant PL from Zinnia elegans shares homology with the microbial PLs from Bacillus subtilis and Pectobacterium carotovorum (Domingo et al., 1998). Moreover, the presence of PL isoforms has been demonstrated in plants such as Hevea brasiliensis, Z. elegans, and Gossypium hirsutum, and in the ripening fruits of banana. More precisely, coding sequences isolated from these latter and expressed in a heterologous system led to the production of Escherichia coli or yeast expressed recombinant enzymes showing PL activities (Domingo et al., 1998; Pua et al., 2001; Chotigeat et al., 2009; Wang et al., 2010). PLs from pathogens are rather active at alkaline pH (Jayani et al., 2005); recombinant PLs from H. brasiliensis, Z. elegans, and mango fruit also show optimal activities at basic pH, namely pH 7, 10, and 8, respectively (Domingo et al., 1998; Chourasia et al., 2006; Chotigeat et al., 2009). Moreover, as in microorganisms, PL activity from H. brasiliensis and mango fruit is inhibited by EDTA and stimulated by CaCl2 (Mayans et al., 1997; Chourasia et al., 2006; Chotigeat et al., 2009). A multiple sequence alignment suggests that the calcium-binding site of plant PLs could be conserved and may involve three aspartate residues (Chotigeat et al., 2009). Lastly, plant PLs, like those from bacteria (E. chrysanthemi), seem to be more active against non-methylesterified HG because their optimal activities have often been quantified with non-methylesterified substrates (Tardy et al., 1997; Chotigeat et al., 2009; Wang et al., 2010). To date, a PNL inhibitor protein has been found (Bugbee, 1993), but no proteic inhibitor of PL enzyme.

Roles of HG modifications in vegetative and reproductive development

Early reports showed the multiple roles of pectin modifications in the control of vegetative development (Hasunuma et al., 2004; Pilling et al., 2004). The current review focuses on the role(s) of HGME-mediated HG modification during cell elongation and differentiation in specific developmental processes.

Roles of HGMEs in organ growth

Understanding the role of pectin modifications in the control of growth requires the use of simple models in which developmental and cell biology, genomics, biochemistry, and biophysics can be integrated at a cellular level. The pollen tube, such as dark-grown hypocotyl, is a powerful system to analyse the roles of the cell wall in modulating cell elongation.

PMEs have been reported to play a role in pollen grain formation. In A. thaliana, the atqrt1 mutant, which does not express the AtQRT1 gene encoding a PME (At5g55590), does not show cell wall degradation and separation of the haploid spores during microsporogenesis (Francis et al., 2006). Consequently, the spores remain fused and pollen grains are released as tetrads. The modifications of HGs by PMEs could play a central role in the first step of wall degradation, by creating substrates for pectin-degrading enzymes. A similar phenotype was shown for mutants in the AtQRT3 gene encoding a putative PG (At4g20050; Rhee et al., 2003). A model was proposed in which the action of PME would create specific substrates for downstream enzymes. The structure of the pollen grain might be a determinant of the subsequent capacity for pollen tube emergence. In A. thaliana, the AtVGD1 gene (At2g47040), which encodes a PME, is involved in pollen tube elongation. The atvgd1 knockout (KO) mutant showed a slight reduction in pollen PME activity together with a retarded pollen tube growth within the style and transmitting tract. In addition, the pollen tube had an abnormal shape with frequent tip explosions (Jiang et al., 2005). The mutant had lower than wild-type levels of pollen fertility, and hence smaller siliques with fewer seeds. A similar phenotype, albeit less drastic, was observed for the AtPPME1 KO mutant (Tian et al., 2006). In other species, such as Nicotiana tabacum, silencing of NtPPME1, encoding the main tobacco PME isoforms, led to a decrease in pollen tube growth (Bosch and Hepler, 2006). Recent advances in the understanding of the role of HG modifications in pollen tube elongation include the tight spatial and temporal regulation of PMEs by PMEIs. For instance, it was shown that AtPMEI2 inactivates AtPPME1 in vitro and that both proteins are located in the pollen tube where they physically interact (Röckel et al., 2008). More recently, BoPMEI1, a novel Brassica oleracea gene, was characterized (Zhang et al., 2010). Heterologously expressed BoPMEI1 showed PMEI activity while a transgenic Arabidopsis plant, expressing antisense BoPMEI1, suppressed the expression of the orthologous gene At1g10770 altering pollen tube growth. The fine control of PME activity modulates HG structure on the lateral sides of the pollen tube, with consequences on cell wall rheology, enabling apical growth. In contrast to PMEs, the functional characterization of the roles of PAEs, PGs, and PLLs in pollen tube growth has remained elusive. However, a recent report showed a role for the control of the DA of pectins in pollen tube growth (Gou et al., 2012). In Brassica campestris, a putative BcPG encoded by BcMF2 is specifically expressed in tapetum and pollen after the tetrad stage of anther development. In a transgenic plant with reduced levels of BcMF2 expression, mature pollen presents a distorted morphology with abnormal intine development, leading to abnormal pollen tube growth and a consequent reduction in male fertility (Huang et al., 2009a ). In the same species, BcMF9, encoding a distinct BcPG, was shown to play a role in intine and exine formation (Huang et al., 2009b ). It is therefore likely that PGs are involved in the changing intine cell wall structure affecting subsequent pollen tube development. Similarly, the activity of PL Cry j I, expressed in pollen of Cryptomeria japonica, could cause cell wall loosening during pollen development, thus improving pollen tube emergence and growth as well as its penetration within the style (Taniguchi et al., 1995). Overall, recent data generated about the control of HG structure, including the role of HG acetylation (Gou et al., 2012) during pollen development, have enabled new models to be established linking pollen tube growth to the spatial distribution of polysaccharides (Zonia and Munnik, 2011; Chebli et al., 2012; Mollet et al., 2013).

On the vegetative side, PME play a role in the early stages of radicle emergence, as shown by the faster germination rate in A. thaliana plants overexpressing AtPMEI5 (Müller et al., 2013). PME activity would therefore modulate the mechanical properties of the cell wall, between opposing forces of radicle elongation and resistance of the endosperm. PG activity can also be involved in radicle protrusion. For example, when the AtPGIP1 gene, which is regulated by the transcription factor ABA insensitive 5 (ABI5), is mutated or overexpressed, PG activity is modified, leading to changes in the seed coat mucilage released and the timing of radicle protrusion (Kanai et al., 2010). Seed coat mucilage production has been shown to be affected by PME (Rautengarten et al., 2008; Voiniciuc et al., 2013; Saez-Aguayo et al., 2013).

Once germinated, dark-grown hypocotyl has a simple anatomy that elongates, in the absence of cell division, from 10 μm up to 1mm during post-embryonic development (Gendreau et al., 1997). Previous work has shown that the initial elongation rate of hypocotyl cells is developmentally controlled. At first, all cells elongate uniformly and slowly up to 48h after germination, after which abrupt growth acceleration takes place (Refregier et al., 2004). An important relationship has been demonstrated between the DM of HGs in primary cell wall and hypocotyl elongation in A. thaliana, as well as other species (Al-Qsous et al., 2004; Paynel et al., 2009). First, two mutants deficient in GA biosynthesis (ga1-3 and gai) showed changes in the DM of HGs, with consequences on hypocotyl length (Derbyshire et al., 2007). More recently, microarray analysis in A. thaliana showed that several genes, encoding PMEs, PMEIs, PGs, and PLLs, were up- or down-regulated at the growth phase transition (Pelletier et al., 2010). The down-regulation of PME expression, using the atpme3 KO mutant, had consequences on hypocotyl length (Guénin et al., 2011). The overexpression of one of these genes, AtPMEI4 (At4g25250), increased carboxylic ester bonds in the primary cell wall of dark-grown hypocotyls and delayed growth (Pelletier et al., 2010). A similar approach showed that the overexpression of AtPMEI5 (At2g31430) had dramatic effects on plant growth, including a drastic reduction in dark-grown hypocotyl length (Wolf et al., 2012b ). It was further shown that feedback signalling from the cell wall is integrated by the BR signalling module to ensure homeostasis of cell wall biosynthesis and remodelling. This adds a new component to understanding the regulation and roles of pectin modifications in the control of growth rate. BRs have been shown to modulate PME activity and the expression of specific PME genes (Qu et al., 2011). Surprisingly, the overexpression of another PMEI, AtPMEI-2, did not show similar results (Lionetti et al., 2010). This suggests that, depending on the PMEI used, specific PME targets could be present or absent, with consequences on the cell wall and growth phenotype. This introduces a fascinating perspective in understanding the role of the sensing of cell wall integrity and its consequences on modulating cell growth (Kohorn and Kohorn, 2012).

When considering root growth, a study showed that the AtPME3 gene encoding one of the major PME isoforms in A. thaliana plays a role in controlling root elongation. The atpme3 KO mutant, which showed decreased PME activity, had a 20% reduction in root length compared with the wild type, while AtPME3 overexpressors showed the opposite phenotype (Hewezi et al., 2008). By using a distinct KO allele, it was shown that the reduction in PME activity in the atpme3 mutant correlated with an increased DM of HGs (Guénin et al., 2011). The control of PME activity by specific PMEIs is likely to play a key role in the regulation of root growth. Transgenic plants overexpressing AtPMEI-1 and AtPMEI-2 showed a 50% decrease in PME activity and an increased root length compared with the wild type; this was notably related to changes in cell size in the root expansion zone (Lionetti et al., 2007). These changes were associated with modifications in leaf shape/size. Recent data demonstrated a link between expression of specific PME genes and the Al-induced inhibition of root elongation in rice (Yang et al., 2012). Interestingly, the number of adventitious roots was modified in PME mutants, suggesting that these enzymes influence both root elongation and root differentiation (Guénin et al., 2011).

Roles of HGMEs in organ formation

As mentioned previously, the changes in the pectic network affect root emergence as shown by the modifications of the number of adventitious roots in specific atpme KO mutant lines (Guénin et al., 2011). This could be related to OG-mediated signalling (Savatin et al., 2011) and/or to phytohormone-related signalling. In this respect, auxin homeostasis is likely to be a major signal regulating the expression of HG-modifying genes, such as PG and PLL genes, during root emergence (Swarup et al., 2008). Although the functional role of PLLs in root differentiation has not yet been elucidated, the increase in transcript accumulation in auxin-treated roots (Laskowski et al., 2006) as well as the large number of isoforms expressed in this organ zone suggest a major involvement of these enzymes (Sun and Van Nocker, 2010). Recent data showing a role for a Lotus japonicus PL in the modification of roots required for rhizobia infection support this hypothesis (Xie et al., 2012).

The phyllotaxis of plant organs, which is the precise emergence of lateral organs, is controlled by a gradient of the plant hormone auxin (Rybel et al., 2010; Vernoux et al., 2010; Besnard et al., 2011; Santuari et al., 2011; Sassi et al., 2012), but the chemical and mechanical status of the cell wall is also important in the formation of new organs. More particularly, the DM of HGs can affect cell wall rheology, modifying phyllotaxis. A first study has shown that the formation of flower primordia in A. thaliana shoot apical meristem is accompanied by a demethylesterification of HGs. In fact, the overexpression of AtPMEI3 (At5g20740) and AtPME5 (At5g47500), which are co-expressed in the shoot apical meristem area, alters the methylesterification status of HGs. This can lead to inhibition of either primordia formation when AtPMEI3 is expressed or ectopic primordia formation with AtPME5 expression (Peaucelle et al., 2008). A second study reported the role of the homeodomain transcription factor BELLRINGER (AtBLR) in the establishment and maintenance of the phyllotaxis pattern in A. thaliana by the control of AtPME5 expression. The study of the KO mutant atblr-6 showed that AtBLR is required to establish normal phyllotaxis through the exclusion of AtPME5 expression from the meristem; in contrast, phyllotaxis is maintained by the activation of AtPME5 in the elongating stem (Peaucelle et al., 2011b ). Local accumulation of auxin in the shoot apex of Arabidopsis leads to local demethylesterification of HGs, suggesting a role for auxin in the control of PME activity, necessary for the decrease in tissue rigidity promoting organ formation. In an AtPMEI3-overexpressing line, which shows decreased demethylesterification of HGs, local accumulation of auxin did not induce organ formation, confirming that the control of the DM of HGs occurs downstream of auxin accumulation during organ formation (Braybrook and Peaucelle, 2013). The changes in HG structure underlie changes in cell wall rheology that are key elements of primordia emergence at the shoot apical meristem (Hamant et al., 2011; Peaucelle et al., 2011a ). Pectins thus play a major role in controlling plant morphogenesis during development (Palin and Geitmann, 2012).

Although the parts played by other HGMEs in flower development have been less documented, some results suggest putative roles in this developmental process. For instance, a cDNA encoding a PGIP gene has been isolated from cotton flower. This gene, designated GhPS1, is specifically expressed in cotton petals and is gradually up-regulated over the course of petal development. However, its expression level declines rapidly in senesced petals after flowering, suggesting that the GhPS1 gene may be involved in cotton petal development and senescence (Shi et al., 2009).

Roles of HGMEs in the modulation of the physical properties of the end-product

Among other post-fecundation processes, the roles of pectin modifications during fleshy fruit development and maturation have been extensively studied (Brummell et al., 2004; Ericksson et al., 2004; Louvet et al., 2011; Lunn et al., 2013; Terao et al., 2013). Early reports showed that, during tomato ripening, PME activity regulates MeOH and ethanol (EtOH) accumulation in the pericarp (Frenkel, 1998). Recent results showed an additional role for PME in cellular calcium distribution and blossom-end rot development in tomato fruit (De Freitas et al., 2012). The link between PME levels and fruit susceptibility to pathogens was reported in the strawberry–Botrytis interaction (Osorio et al., 2008), and the consequences of changes in PME gene expression on metabolic and signalling pathways were described (Osorio et al., 2011a, b ). Overall, the fine control of PME activity could be related to the interaction with specific inhibitors during fruit development, as recently shown (Reca et al., 2012). The role of PME-mediated changes in the pectic network is likely to be highly conserved during fruit development, as shown by the changes in PME activity and/or transcript accumulation in various plant species (Barnavon et al., 2001; Deytieux-Belleau et al., 2008; Draye and Cutsem, 2008; Mbéguié-A-Mbéguié et al., 2009; Cação et al., 2012; Roongsattham et al., 2012; Wen et al., 2013). For instance, in Musa acuminata, PMEs are involved in cell wall modifications, responsible for softening the pedicel abscission area after induction of ripening. However, the observed effects could also be caused by cooperation of PME with other cell wall-modifying genes. In tomato, PG activity appears necessary for HG modifications, following the first stage of ripening; in transgenic plants underexpressing a PG gene, the fruit does not show any degradation in the last stage of fruit ripening (Hadfield and Bennett, 1998). The close relationship between PG activities and fruit firmness has recently been shown in apple (Atkinson et al., 2012) and in strawberry (García et al., 2009; Quesada et al., 2009). In addition, PGs have been reported to play a central role in the modifications of the HG network associated with fruit abscission (Swain et al., 2011). In banana, as in other climacteric fruits, ripening is accompanied by a high production of ethylene, which suggests a strong regulation of HGMEs by this phytohormone (Dominguez-Puigjaner et al., 1997; Mbéguié-A-Mbéguié et al., 2009; Srivastava et al., 2012). For instance, in M. acuminata, the BAN17 gene encoding PL is expressed under the control of ethylene. The role of PL in fruit softening was functionally demonstrated in strawberry (Jimenez-Bermudez et al., 2002; Santiago-Doménech et al., 2008). The changes in the HG network and its methylesterification status, mediated by HGMEs, are thus key elements of fruit texture that could be used for quantitative and genetic association studies (Chapman et al., 2012; Lahaye et al., 2012). Other post-fecundation processes appear to be under the control of HG structure. For instance, HG modification was shown to play a role in fibre elongation in cotton. In Gossypium hirsutum, the GhPEL gene, whose product was biochemically characterized as a PL, is preferentially expressed in fibres at 10 d post-anthesis. In antisense GhPEL transgenic cotton plants, where the expression is significantly suppressed, a reduction in PL activity was observed. This reduction led to a decreased degradation of demethylesterified HG epitopes in the primary cell wall with consequent effects on cell wall loosening; ultimately, the elongation of the fibre was repressed (Wang et al., 2010).

Recent findings also highlight emerging roles for PMEs in wood development and wood mechanical properties. In A. thaliana, five different PME genes are expressed in the xylem, one of which is more highly expressed in this tissue than in any other examined. Similarly, transcripts of a dozen PME genes have been found in poplar wood-forming tissues (Geisler-Lee et al., 2006) and shown to be tightly regulated within the cambial meristem and during xylogenesis. In addition, several genes encoding HGMEs have been found to be regulated during wood formation in Pinus radiata (Li et al., 2011, 2012) and Eucalyptus (Carvalho et al., 2008; Goulao et al., 2011). A role for PMEs has been demonstrated in the regulation of fibre length in poplar (Siedlecka et al., 2007) as well as in the modulation of stem mechanical properties in Arabidopsis (Hongo et al., 2012). For the latter, AtPME35 is involved in the demethylesterification of the primary cell wall, which directly regulates the mechanical strength of the supporting tissue. Mutants affected in the expression of the AtPME35 gene showed a striking bending phenotype. Furthermore, the presence of HG and its de-esterification are likely to be essential for xylem lignification. For example, Ca2+-bridged de-esterified HG is known to bind class III peroxidases that might initiate lignin polymerization (Jenkins et al., 2001). In support of this hypothesis, it was shown that PME, de-esterified HGs, peroxidase, and the start of the lignification process co-localize at cell junctions in woody tissues (Wi et al., 2005) and that pectins interact with lignin monomers and affect lignin polymerization in vitro (Lairez et al., 2005; Habrant et al., 2009). The control of the methylesterification status of HGs has dramatic consequences on the chemical and rheological properties of the cell wall (Wolf et al., 2009b ), and thus is likely to affect the properties of biomass-derived by-products. For instance, the PME-mediated changes in pectin structure have been shown to influence the texture of cooked potato tubers (Ross et al., 2011a, b ), the saccharification of plant tissues for biomass bioconversion (Lionetti et al., 2010), and the solid wood properties of Eucalyptus pilularis (Sexton et al., 2012). The differences in pectins between juvenile and adult Eucalyptus globulus wood, revealed by various nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses, support a major role for these enzymes during wood formation (Rencoret et al., 2011).

Role of HG modifications in plant responses to biotic stress

Biotic stresses modify gene expression of HG-modifying enzymes

Plant HGMEs are involved in various biotic interactions: necrotrophic, hemibiotrophic, or biotrophic pathogens (fungi, oomycetes, bacteria, and viruses); phytophagous organisms (piercing–sucking insects, chewing insects, and nematodes); endosymbiotic microorganisms (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria); or plant parasites that feed and then develop on host plants. Piercing–sucking insects wound the plant by inserting their stylets (mouthpart) into tissue to suck the cell contents or sieves. This wounding stress may be mimicked using needle punctures on leaves. Plant HGME gene expression is modified by all of these stresses, but the observed patterns of expression are dependent upon the bioaggressor (Table 2). For instance, no induction of PG gene expression has yet been reported after chewing insect and plant parasite infestations. Similarly, no induction of PAE or PL gene expression was shown following infections by viruses, endosymbiotic microorganisms, and plant parasites. For each bioaggressor, the pattern of HGME expression differs depending on the plant species, ecotype (or cultivar), and plant phenology. While A. thaliana AtPME3 (At3g14310) was overexpressed in the C24 ecotype (Hewezi et al., 2008) after 3 d of infestation with 250 J2 nematodes (Heterodera schachtii), no such effect was reported in Col-0 for a similar infestation level. In contrast, in this ecotype, the expression of two other PMEs (At2g45220 and At1g53830) was down-regulated following infestation (Puthoff et al., 2003). This difference could also be related to plant phenology as, although of similar age (14 d old for C24 and 12 d old for Col-0), the plants were grown under distinct photoperiods (16/8h and 12/12h day/night, respectively).

Table 2.

Gene expression variations of homogalacturonan-modifying enzymes after biotic stressesPectin methylesterases, pectin acetylesterases, polygalacturonases, and pectin lyase-like involved in plant–bioaggressor interactions.

Gene nameAGI or accessionStressSpecies name(s)InductionReferences
Pectin methylesterases (PMEs)
Aphid Brevicoryne brassicae 32 aphids/plant; 48 hpi Kusnierczyk et al. (2008)
AtPME17 At2g45220 Up-regulated 48 hpi (×4.53)
AtPMEPCRF (61) At5g53370 Up-regulated 6, 12, 24, 48 hpi (×1.35, 1.44, 1.83, 1.85)
Apium graveolens cv. Dulce (celery) Aphid Myzus persicae 20 (3 dpi) or 100 aphids (7 dpi)/plant Divol et al. (2005)
AgPME CN254944 Up-regulated (×3.41, 2.41)
AgPME CN254453 Up-regulated (×3.48, 2.19)
Whitefly Bemisia tabaci 100 whiteflies/plant; 21 dpi Kempema et al. (2007)
AtPME17 At2g45220 Up-regulated (×8.06)
AtPMEPCRA (18) At1g11580 Down-regulated (×–1.70)
Chewing insect Spodotera littoralis OS 1mm holes punctured and 1 μl of insect OS applied; 6, 24 hpi Consales et al. (2011)
AtPME32 At3g43270 (oral secretion)Up-regulated (×2.17, 1.58)
AtPMEPCRA (18) At1g11580 Up-regulated (×3.33, 1.77)
Chewing insect Pieris brassicae 10–40 eggs/plant; 24, 48, 72 hpi Little et al. (2007)
AtPME44 At4g33220 Down-regulated (× –1.54, –1.65, –1.39)
Nicotiana attenuata (tobacco) Chewing insect Manduca sexta OSLeaf wounded with a pattern wheel + 20 μl of diluted insect OS; 9 hpi Von et al. (2006)
NaPME DQ115979 Up-regulated (×2.59)
Nematode Meloidogyne javanica 10–12 J2 nematodes/root tip; 3 dpi Barcala et al. (2010)
AtPME At5g20860 Up-regulated (×3.05)
AtPME At1g11580 Up-regulated (×3.56)
AtPME17 At2g45220 Down-regulated (× –3.54)
Nematode Heterodera schachtii 250 J2 nematodes/plant; 3, 8, 13 dpi Hewezi et al. (2008)
AtPME3 At3g14310 or Meloidogyne incognita Up-regulated (×2.0, 3.5, 3.0)
Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) Nematode Globodera rostochiensis 10 000 J2 nematodes/plant; 14 dpi Uehara et al. (2007)
LePME SNG-U213346 Up-regulated (×7.0)
Nematode Heterodera schachtii 250 J2 nematodes/plant; 3 dpi Puthoff et al. (2003)
AtPME2 At1g53830 Down-regulated (× –3.8)
AtPME17 At2g45220 Down-regulated (× –3.9)
Bacterium Pectobacterium carotovorum 5×107 cfu ml–1; 14 hpi Raiola et al. (2011)
AtPME3 At3g14310 Up-regulated (×2.5)
Fungus Botrytis cinerea 5×105 conidia ml–1; 72 hpi Raiola et al. (2011)
AtPME3 At3g14310 Up-regulated (×7.0)
Fungus Alternaria brassicola 10, 24, 48 hpi Narusaka et al. (2005)
AtPME3 At3g14310 Up-regulated (×7.2, 2.9, 4.1)
Fungus Alternaria alternata 10, 24, 48 hpi Narusaka et al. (2005)
AtPME3 At3g14310 Up-regulated (×11.2, 11.5, 6.8)
Linum usitatissimum (flax) Fungus Fusarium oxysporum 2 dpi (RT–PCR) Wojtasik et al. (2011)
LuPME3 AF188895 or F. culmorum Down-regulated
LuPME5 AF355057 Down-regulated
Medicago truncatula (barrel medic) AM fungus Glomus mosseae 28 dpi Hohnjec et al. (2005)
MtPME TC78420 or Glomus intraradices Up-regulated (×2.56 GM, ×2.66 GI)
MtPME TC82059 Up-regulated (×2.33 GM, ×4.11 GI)
Sesbania rostrata (Sesbania) Bacterium Azorhizobium caulinodans 48 hpi Lievens et al. (2001)
SrPME1 Srdd18 Up-regulated (RT–PCR) Lievens et al. (2002)
Solanum tuberosum cv Igor (potato) VirusPVYNTN 0.5 hpi Baebler et al. (2009)
StPME STMHY50 Down-regulated (× –1.27)
VirusTuMV5 dpi Yang et al. (2007)
AtPME3 At3g14310 Down-regulated (× –2.64)
VirusCaLCuV12 dpi Ascencio-Ibanez et al. (2008)
AtPMEPCRA (18) At1g11580 Down-regulated (× –1.14)
Virus 4 dpi Whitham et al. (2003)
AtPMEPCRA (18) At1g11580 CMV, ORMV, TuMV, PVX, TVCVUp-regulated (×2.2–3.8)
Vigna inguilata (cowpea) Parasitic plant Striga gesnerioides 6 dpi or 13 dpi Huang et al. (2012)
VuPME 33686210 Up-regulated 6 dpi (×3.24) and 13 dpi (×3.29)
Pectin acetylesterases (PAEs)
Whitefly Bemisia tabaci 100 silverfly/plant, 21 dpi Kempema et al. (2007)
AtPAE At4g19420 Up-regulated (×2.89)
AtPAE At5g45280 Down-regulated (× –1.78)
Aphid Myzus persicae 20 (3 dpi) or 100 aphids (7 dpi) /plant Divol et al. (2005)
AtPAE CN254169 Up-regulated (×3.78, 2.16)
Malus domestica (apple tree) Aphid Dysaphis plantaginea 20 aphids/leaf, 72 hpi Qubbaj et al. (2005)
MdPAE CB035291 Up-regulated
Chewing insect Spodotera littoralis OS1mm holes punctured and 1 μl of insect OS applied; 6, 24 hpi Consales et al. (2011)
AtPAE At2g46930 Up-regulated (×2.83, 2.30)
Nematode Meloidogyne incognita 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 dpi Vercauteren et al. (2002)
AtPAE AY050847 or Heterodera schachtii Up-regulated
Polygalacturonases (PGs)
Aphid Brevicoryne brassicae 32 aphids/plant Kusnierczyk et al. (2008)
AtPG At5g49215 Down-regulated 6, 12, 24, 48 hpi (× –1.21, –1.46, –1.38, –1.52)
AtPG At3g62110 Down-regulated 6, 12, 24, 48 hpi (× –1.53, –1.43, –1.56, –1.55)
AtPG At1g60590 Down-regulated 6, 12, 24, 48 hpi (× –1.33, –1.45, –1.39, –1.51)
AtPG At4g23820 Down-regulated 6, 12, 24, 48 hpi (× –1.14, –1.27, –1.51, –1.62)
AtPG At3g06770 Down-regulated 6, 12, 24, 48 hpi (× –1.48, –1.83, –1.92, –1.83)
AtPG At1g10640 Down-regulated 6, 24, 48 hpi (× –1.78, –1.41, –1.88)
Aphid Myzus persicae saliva inflitration50 aphids/plant, 24 (OS), 48, 72 (OS+feeding) hpi De Vos and Jander (2009)
AtPG At1g60590 Down-regulated (× –2.69, –22.7)
Nematode Heterodera schachtii 250 J2 nematodes/plant, 3 dpi Puthoff et al. (2003)
AtPG At2g41850 Up-regulated (×3.7)
AtPG At1g05660 Down-regulated (×3.1)
Nematode Meloidogyne javanica 10–12 J2 nematodes/root tip; 3 dpi Barcala et al. (2010)
AtPG At4g23820 Up-regulated (×3.03)
Medicago truncatula (barrel medic) AM fungus Glomus mosseae 28 dpi Hohnjec et al. (2005)
MtPG TC88957 or Glomus intraradices Up-regulated (×2.53 GM, ×4.50 GI)
Medicago truncatula (barrel medic) Bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti 24, 48 dpi Lohar et al. (2006
MtPG TC78631 Up-regulated (×1.14, 1.41)
MtPG TC89800 Up-regulated (×1.45, 1.25)
MtPG TC91368 Up-regulated (×1.14, 1.12)
MtPG TC87651 Up-regulated (×2.88, 2.23)
Medicago sativa (alfafa) Bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti 24 dpi Munoz et al. (1998)
MsPG MsPG3 Up-regulated (RT–PCR)
Solanum tuberosum cv Igor (potato) VirusPVYNTN 0.5 hpi Baebler et al. (2009)
StPG STMIS28 Down-regulated (× –1.43)
Pectate lyase-like proteins (PLLs)
Aphid Brevicoryne brassicae 32 aphids/plant, 6, 12, 24, 48 hpi Kusnierczyk et al. (2008)
AtPL At1g67750 Down-regulated (× –2.00, –1.62, –1.64, –1.85)
Glycine max (soybean) Aphid Aphis glycines 40 aphids/plant, 6 hpi Li et al. (2008)
GmPL AI748551 (At1g67750) Down-regulated (× –1.52)
GmPL AW099533 Down-regulated (× –1.54)
GmPL AW309146 (At1g11920) Down-regulated (× –1.62)
Chewing insect Spodotera littoralis OS1mm holes punctured and 1 μl of insect OS applied; 6, 24 hpi Consales et al. (2011)
AtPNL At3g15720 Up-regulated (×5.28, 2.0)
AtPNL At3g61490 Up-regulated (×12.13, 2.0)
Chewing insect Pieris brassicae Down-regulated (× –1.48, –1.45, –1.23) Little et al. (2007)
AtPNL At5g48900 10–40 eggs/plant, 24, 48, 72 hpi
Nematode Meloidogyne javanica 10–12 J2 nematodes/root tip; 3 dpi Barcala et al. (2010)
AtPL At3g53190 Up-regulated (×4.88)
Medicago truncatula (barrel medic) AM fungus Glomus mosseae 28 dpi Hohnjec et al. (2005)
MtPL TC88957 or Glomus intraradices Up-regulated (×2.03 GM, ×3.00 GI)
Medicago truncatula (barrel medic) Bacterium Rhizobium meliloti 6, 12, 24, 48 dpi Lohar et al. (2006)
MtPL TC89125 Up-regulated (×5.12, 2.37, 2.73, 1.18)
Vigna inguilata (cowpea) Parasitic plant Striga gesnerioides 13 dpi Huang et al. (2012)
VuPL 33691436 Down-regulated (× –8.86)

Piercing–sucking insects (yellow box), chewing insects (turquoise), nematodes (blue), bacteria (black), fungi (light grey), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (dark grey), viruses (red). and parasitic flowering plants (green).

Species names in bold indicate necrotrophic pathogens and underlined gene names refer to characterized enzymes.

The analysis of available microarray data sets from A. thaliana Col-0 ecotype (www.genevestigator.com; Hruz et al., 2008) for distinct pathogens shows that the expression of a number of HGME genes is mostly down-regulated whatever the type of biotic stress: necrotrophic (Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium oxysporum), hemibiotrophic (Phytophthora infestans), or biotrophic (Pseudomonas syringae) pathogens, phytophagous organisms (Bemisia tabaci and Meloidogyne incognita), virus (Cabbage leaf curl virus CalCuV), or wounding (needles, Fig. 5). In general, within the smallest multigenic families of HGMEs such as PAEs and PLs, up to 67% and 42% of genes, respectively, show distinct expression patterns in response to biotic stresses. In contrast, figures are in the range of 29% and 24% for PMEs and PGs, respectively. In more detail, when considering the number of regulated HGME genes and their expression levels (up- or down-regulation), two clusters can be distinguished. The first includes responses to P. infestans, B. tabaci, B. cinerea, CalCuV, and P. syringae, and shows an overall down-regulation of most of the genes. The second cluster, which has far fewer modifications of gene expression, comprises the responses to M. incognita, F. oxysporum, or wounding. Some genes are specifically expressed in each cluster (PL, At5g63180; PGs, At4g23820, At3g06770, and At3g16850; or PME, At1g53830; and PL, At5g55720 in cluster one and two, respectively). On this basis, it would be possible to distinguish between rather ubiquitous biotic stress-related HGMEs (PME, At2g45220; and PL, At3g07010) and specific ones (PMEs At5g04960At3g10710 with M. incognita; PME At2g47280 and PGs At3g48950At5g27530 with CalCuV, or PGs At1g70500At3g57510 with P. syringae). As both clusters include a necrotrophic fungus (B. cinerea and F. oxysporum), the changes in the expression of HGMEs do not appear to be dependent on the bioaggressor lifestyle per se. The expression of HGME genes is more likely to depend on the bioaggressor species (Fig. 5). For instance, the number of HGME genes regulated following a 48h infestation by B. cinerea was 3-fold higher than for an F. oxysporum infestation. This suggests distinct response pathways at the cell wall level. Interestingly, whatever the HGME family considered, F. oxysporum induces the fewest changes in gene expression levels. While it has been suggested that necrotrophs and hemibiotrophs can modulate the expression of a higher number of PMEs than biotrophs (Lionetti et al., 2012), it seems important to consider the pathogen species and probably the duration of infection. For example, after 48h of infestation, HGME modifications induced by the two necrotrophic fungi, F. oxysporum and B. cinerea, belong to the two different clusters defined before, while, within the same cluster, most HGME genes are more extensively modified after 24h of infection by the biotrophic bacterium P. syringae than by the necrotrophic fungus B. cinerea (29, 24, and 42% against 23, 16, and 35% of PME, PG, and PL, respectively). Only PAEs are recruited at the same level in both infections. Changes in the expression of HGME genes were observed for the duration of an interaction that can reach several weeks in the case of piercing–sucking insects and nematodes; the time needed to complete development steps or even a whole reproduction cycle. After 21 d of continuous feeding in a single phloem sieve element by the whitefly nymph B. tabaci, or after 28 d of infestation by the nematode M. incognita, the number of genes with modified expression was almost the same as after B. cinerea infection. Comparing the two piercing–sucking phytophagous insects, each belonging to the two different clusters, the overall number of PMEs and PLs differentially expressed is relatively similar, but differences lie in the identity of the isoforms. The changes in gene expression are likely to concern isoforms that are organ specific; nematodes feeding on roots and whiteflies on leaves. Interestingly, 24h after leaf wounding, the HGME pattern belongs to the same cluster as that of nematode infestation. Current challenges include the identification of the specific roles of HGME isoforms in biotic interactions (host species, bioaggressor lifestyle, plant phenology, attacked organ, and duration of infestation/infection). This might help to build general and specific models of the response of the plant at the cell wall (pectin) level.

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Expression pattern of PME, PAE, PG and PLL mRNA in A. thaliana Col-0 in response to necrotrophic fungi (48h, Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium oxysporum), hemibiotrophic oomycete (24h, Phytophthora infestans), biotrophic bacterium (24h, Pseudomonas syringae), herbivore insects (21 d, Bemisia tabaci), nematode (28 d, Meloidogyne incognita), virus (24h, Cabbage leaf curl virus CalCuV), and leaf wounding with needles (24h). PMEs, PAEs, PGs, and PLLs (red, green, orange, and blue circles) are shown together. Data were analysed using the Genevestigator Meta-Analyzer Tools (www.genevestigator.com/gv/; Hruz et al., (2008). Only probes with a single gene and genes showing a minimal expression were used for the analysis. For each HGME family, the percentage (%) of genes expressed among all family members is indicated.

Role of HGMEs in the establishment of feeding structures during biotic interactions

Except for chewing insects and necrotrophic pathogens, in most cases a feeding connection is established during plant–bioaggressor interactions. Most hemibiotrophic and obligate biotrophic fungi, or oomycetes use an appressorium followed by a penetration peg that goes through the plant cell wall to develop a haustorium for host cell nutrient absorption. Nutrient trafficking passes through the plant extrahaustorial membrane and matrix to the hyphal wall and membrane (Szabo and Bushnell, 2001; Underwood, 2012), while the whole haustorium is encased. Haustoria are also described as special organs of most parasitic plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for penetration and development of vascular connections within the host plant for feeding (Leake, 1994; Lee, 2007). Cell wall remodelling, and thus cell wall-degrading enzymes (CWDEs), including HGMEs, are necessary to establish a conductive system (Deising et al., 1995). CWDEs are secreted by pathogens, plant parasites, or mycorrhizal fungi to develop the haustorium and by the plant to restrict its development, especially through the cell wall apposition (papilla). Although callose and lignin have been described as the main embedded compounds for cell wall strengthening in the vicinity of the haustorium, pectate gel generated following PME activity could also play a role (Micheli, 2001) (Fig. 4). In fact, two PME genes are overexpressed in Medicago truncatula roots infected by the endosymbiotic fungus Glomus sp. (Hohnjec et al., 2005). In cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) infected by the holoparasite Striga gesnerioides, in parallel with the overexpression of one PME gene, one PLL is underexpressed in roots (Huang et al., 2012). Although to date no specific role has been demonstrated for plant HGMEs during haustorium differentiation, in wheat leaves infected by the pathogen Blumeria graminis, papilla size correlated with peroxidase activity and H2O2 accumulation, depending on the DA of plant pectin fragments used as elicitors (Randoux et al., 2010).

HGMEs are also good candidates for modulating cell wall structure during intrusive cell growth that occurs when plants interact with biotrophic, hemibiotrophic, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Perfect and Green, 2001) and with parasitic plants (Leake, 1994). HGMEs could also modulate the interaction with aphids and nematodes (Wyss and Zunke, 1986; Tjallingii and Esch, 1993). For instance, the trophic behaviour of the aphid Myzus persicae was modified within 8h of infestation in A. thaliana plants knocked out for the expression of the AtPME17 gene (C. Wattier et al., unpublished). Interestingly, the expression of PME17 is markedly increased following interactions with other aphids (Brevicoryne brassicae) or whitefly (B. tabaci) (Fig. 5) (Kempema et al., 2007; Kuśnierczyk et al., 2008). As the salivation phases were longer in the pme17 mutant, PME17 could have a role in facilitating the progression of the stylets in wild-type plants. Similarly, very early in root knot and cyst nematode infections (M. incognita and Heterodera schachtii, respectively), an up-regulation of one AtPAE was shown using in situ localization (Vercauteren et al., 2002). The activity of this HGME could be involved in softening the plant cell wall to establish a feeding site, which is an induced multinucleate and physiologically active aggregation of fused root cells that exclusively provides nutrients during the nematode sedentary life (Szabo and Bushnell, 2001; Vercauteren et al., 2002). Similarly, AtPME3 seems to be crucial in the early phase of the establishment of the syncytium, the feeding site of the cyst nematode, as it appeared to be a virulent target in the A. thalianaH. schachtii interaction (Hewezi et al., 2008). Using a yeast two-hybrid screen, PME3, whose gene expression was increased during infestation, was identified as interacting with a cellulose-binding protein (CBP) secreted by H. schachtii (Hewezi et al., 2008). Results obtained using transgenic lines suggest that PME3 could be recruited by CBP to modify the plant cell wall, thus helping cyst nematode parasitism. However, this is unlikely to be the whole mechanism for parasitism success. Similarly, a so-called ‘welcoming programme’, characterized by huge cell reorganizations and by the formation of root hairs, has been related to the facilitation of the intercellular progression of infection threads or hyphae during the initiation of endosymbiotic interactions (van Brussel et al., 1992; Bonfante, 2001; Hause and Fester, 2004). For instance, during legume–Rhizobium or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus symbioses, several plant HGMEs were involved in the early stages of the interaction (Lohar et al., 2006; Oldroyd et al., 2011). Four PG genes and one PLL gene were overexpressed in M. truncatulaRhizobium meliloti interactions, while in Medicago sativa one PG was specifically localized in the cell wall of nodule primordia and invasion zones from 1h to 2 d post-inoculation (Muñoz et al., 1998; Lohar et al., 2006). Using mutant plants, a PL from L. japonicus appears essential for the proper initiation of Rhizobium trifolii infection (Xie et al., 2012). Moreover, in situ localization showed that PMEs could contribute to the development of new vascular tissues during rhizobial infection (Lievens et al., 2002). This is consistent with the analysis of microarray data sets, showing that M. truncatula PGs, PLLs, and PMEs are overexpressed 28 d after inoculation with Glomus sp. (Hohnjec et al., 2005) and that PG activity is localized in the cell wall of lateral root primordia (Peretto et al., 1995). The specific case of parasitic plants is of interest as, like host plants, they secrete their own HGMEs to facilitate their penetration into the host plant root cortex. For instance, Orobanche sp. secretes PMEs and their activity is correlated with the localization of low esterified HG in the cell wall and the middle lamella at the site of contact between host and parasitic cells (Ben-Hod et al., 1993; Losner-Goshen et al., 1998). This plant–plant interaction raises fascinating questions concerning the roles and specificity of host and parasite HGMEs. In particular, the study of the potential inhibition of parasitic plant PMEs by host plant PMEIs would be of great interest.

Host plant HGMEs are thus largely involved during the establishment of the feeding structures of bioaggressors, both to facilitate their intrusion and to restrict their excessive spreading. Their role in the fine-tuning of cell wall remodelling in favour of parasitic success at an early stage suggests that HGME activity has been diverted during a co-evolution process. Virulence factors of bioaggressors that target plant protein involved in defence responses, and the binding of exogeneous protein to some plant PMEs, appear as examples. Reported for plant–nematode interactions, this targeting has previously been highlighted for plant–virus interactions. The movement protein (MP) of Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), which can be transmitted by piercing–sucking insects, interacts with a PME purified from tobacco leaves and this interaction is required for TMV cell to cell movement in the host plant (Dorokhov et al., 1999; Chen et al., 2000). The reduction of total PME activity, using antisense suppression of the expression of one PME or the overexpression of a characterized PMEI, led to the delayed systemic movement of TMV (Chen and Citovsky, 2003). In the meantime, using transgenic plants overexpressing PME, an inverse correlation between PME activity and TMV lesion sizes has been demonstrated (Gasanova et al., 2008). In this respect, the common hypothesis that plant HGMEs play a role in plant resistance by mediating cell wall strengthening or producing endogenous elicitors is probably too simplistic.

Roles of HGMEs in structural resistance

The cell wall represents an impenetrable physical barrier with constitutive rigidity to fend off bioaggressor attacks (Vallarino and Osorio, 2012). A high DM of HG has been correlated to genotype resistance to the aphid Schizaphis graminum, the biotrophic fungus Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, and the necrotrophic bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum (Table 3) (Dreyer and Campbell, 1984; Boudart et al., 1998; Wydra and Beri, 2006). This could be related to changes in cell wall elasticity and mechanics. As shown during organ initiation (Peaucelle et al., 2011a ), the lowest wall elasticity is correlated to the highest DM. Furthermore, a high constitutive DM of pectin was structurally related to the borate–RGII cross-link in regulating cell wall stiffness (Ishii and Matsunaga, 2001). As such, plant resistance to the necrotrophic bacterium Pectobacterium carotovorum is associated with a high DM of pectin in wild potato plants (McMillan et al., 1993; Marty et al., 1997) and in the pme3 mutant of A. thaliana (Raiola et al., 2011). The enhanced DM level obtained by mutation of PME genes or by overexpression of PMEI genes in planta increased the resistance of dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous species to biotrophic or necrotrophic pathogens, but not to the full range of pathogens for each plant (Table 3) (Lionetti et al., 2007; An et al., 2008; Raïola et al., 2011; Volpi et al., 2011). Furthermore, in vitro, the hydrolysis of plant pectin by endo-PGs from several necrotrophic pathogens is decreased when pectins of high DM are used as carbon sources (Bonnin et al., 2002). The resistance observed could therefore be related to a decrease in the number of specific substrates for endogenous PGs, as well as the physical or chemical properties of pectins, such as the isoform pattern of HGME activity or the amount of branched pectins. Using antisense tomato plants, the decrease in plant PG activity reduced, as expected, fruit softening and ripening, but also increased tomato resistance against biotrophic or necrotrophic pathogens (Damasceno et al., 2011). Nevertheless, enhancing resistance through the modulation of the DM of HG is unlikely to be an easy strategy as it appears to be pathogen specific. For instance, increased PME activity and the associated lower DM of pectins, in transgenic strawberry overexpressing one PME, enhanced fruit resistance to the necrotrophic fungus B. cinerea (Osorio et al., 2008). Understanding this opposite effect is complex as PME activity on HG can have two distinct consequences. On one hand, the linear activity of PME can give rise to blocks of free carboxyl groups that non-covalently interact with Ca2+ ions, conferring a gel-like structure and cell wall strengthening (Morris et al., 1982; Micheli, 2001). On the other hand, random PME activity promotes the action of pectin depolymerases (endo-PG or lyase activities) increasing both cell wall loosening and porosity and producing OGs that elicit plant defence responses (Baron-Epel et al., 1988; Ehwald et al., 1992). Thus, in transgenic plants with modified HGME activity, either the direct or the indirect effect on HG structure could play a role in plant resistance. For example, constitutive gene expression of antimicrobial proteins (PR5) in transgenic strawberry overexpressing one PME enhanced basal resistance to B. cinerea, while a decrease in their level (PR1 and PR10) in PMEI1-silenced pepper conferred decreased basal resistance to the biotrophic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris (An et al., 2008; Osorio et al., 2008). Among PMEs, some (At1g11580) that have a ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) activity might be considered antimicrobial proteins themselves. RIPs are known to be involved in plant defence against viruses (De-la-Peña et al., 2008). Resistance to the fungus Puccinia graminis was associated with a random distribution of the methylesters of HGs in the near-isogenic resistant line as compared with a more blockwise distribution in the susceptible cultivar (Wiethölter et al., 2003). The DA of pectins is also likely to play an important role in plant resistance. While the Arabidopsis mutant reduced cell wall acetylation rwa2 was more resistant against the necrotrophic fungus B. cinerea, it was susceptible to the biotrophic fungus Golovinomyces cichoracearum. The ‘antagonistic responses’ to these pathogens are consistent with the two distinct plant defence pathways induced [jasmonic acid (JA)/ethylene (ET), versus salicylic acid (SA)]. All these results suggest an indirect link between cell wall-related basal structural resistance and inducible plant defences. The mutation of the plant putative pectate lyase PMR6 (POWDERY MILDEW RESISTANT 6), required for the virulence of Erysiphe sp., increased the content and DM of pectin as well as plant resistance, but surprisingly did not change either fungus penetration success or SA- and JA/ET-dependent defence responses. Similar results were obtained using the pmr5 mutant; PMR5 encodes a protein of unknown function required for pectin production and is likely to be targeted to the endoplasmic reticulum/secretory pathway. These results suggest non-elicitor OG production, highlighting the dual role of HGMEs in the control of cell wall stiffness during plant bioaggressor interactions. Finally, since HGME activities result in direct (strengthening) or indirect (OG elicitor production) resistance, they appear good candidates for virulent factor targeting.

Table 3.

Biochemical implication of HG-modifying enzymes (PMEs, PAEs, and PLLs) and their inhibitor proteins (PMEIs, PGIPs, and PNLIP) in plant resistance against bioaggressors

Gene nameUtilizationStress InductionReferences
Pectin methylation and PME activity
Sorghum bicolor (sorgho) DM of pectinAphid Schzaphis graminum Resistant variety has higher methylated pectins than the suceptible Dreyer and Campbell (1984)
Phaseolus vulgaris (bean)Fungus Collectotrichum lindemuthianum Resistant line has higher methylated pectins than the suceptible Boudart et al. (1998)
DM of pectinNear-isogenic lines
Solanum tuberosum cv Bintje or ADG (potato)
DM of pectin
Bacterium Pectobacterium carotovorum Resistant genotype (ADG) has higher methylated pectins than the susceptible genotype (Bintje) Marty et al. (1997)
Potato
DM of pectin
Somatic hybrid of 3 cv (Record, Estima, Katahdin)Bacterium Pectobacterium carotovorum Resistant genotype has higher methylated pectins than the susceptible genotype McMillan et al (1993)
Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) DM of pectinBacterium Ralstonia solanacearum Resistant genotype (Hawaii7996) has higher methylated pectins than the susceptible genotype (Wva700) Wydra and Beri (2006)
(Hawaii7996, Wva700)
Nicotiana attenuata (tobacco) PME activityChewing insect Manduca sexta OSLeaf wounded with a pattern wheel; 20 μl of diluted insect OS applied; PME activity increased (29%) 30min after OS applied Von Dahl et al. (2006)
Wild type
Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) PMEVirusTMVPME specifically recognized the TMV MP (movement protein) Dorokhov et al. (1999)
Nicotiana tabacum cv. Turk (tobacco) PMEVirusTMVMutant TMV without MP proteins cannot link to tobacco PME (no lesions on leaves after TMV mutant infection) Chen et al. (2000)
Nicotiana tabacum cv. Samsun (tobacco)VirusTMVPME activity increased >resistance increased Gasanova et al. (2008)
PME activityProPME (size of leaf necrosis and short- and long-distance transport decreased)
Nicotiana tabacum cv. Turk (tobacco)VirusTMVPME activity decreased >symptome appearence delayed (5–12 times slower in the antisense line than in the wild type) Chen and Citovsky (2003)
PME activityAntisense suppression
pme3 KOFungus Botrytis cinerea PME activity decreased >DM decreased>resistance decreased Raiola et al. (2011)
AtPME3 At3g14310
AtPME3 pme3 KO
At3g14310
Bacterium Pectobacterium carotovorum PME activity decreased >DM decreased >resistance decreased Raiola et al. (2011)
Fragaria vesca (wild strawberry)Fungus Botrytis cinerea OGA with low DM >resistance increased Osorio et al. (2008)
PME activityOverexpression line (FaPE1)
Pectin acetylation
Mutant Atrwa2 Fungus Botrytis cinerea Pectin acetylation decreased >resistance increased Manabe et al. (2011)
DA of pectin(with 20% decreased acetylester content)
Triticum aestivum (wheat)Fungus Blumeria graminis OGA with high DA >resistance increased Randoux et al. (2010)
DA of pectinChemical acetylation
Pectate lyase-like (PLL)
Fungus Erysiphe cichoracearum 108 cfu ml–1; 1, 2, 4 dpi Vogel et al. (2002)
AtPMR6 At3g54920 confers resitance to E. cichoracearum
Pectin methyl esterase inhibitors (PMEIs)
overexpression linesFungus Botrytis cinerea ATPMEI increased>PME activity decreased>DM increased>resistance increased Lionetti et al. (2007)
AtPMEI1 At1g48020
ATPMEI2 At3g17220
Capsicum annuum (pepper) Bacterium Xanthomonas campestris CaPMEI inhibited >susceptibility increased An et al. (2008)
CaPMEI1 Transgenic pepper silences CaPMEI1 pv. vesicatoria
Capsicum annuum (pepper) Bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato CaPMEI overexpressed >resistance increased, but no resistance to the biotrophic fungus Hyaloperonospora parasitica An et al. (2008)
CaPMEI1 Transgenic A. thaliana overexpresses CaPMEI1
Actinidia chinensis (kiwi) Fungus Fusarium graminearum AcPMEI expression >PME activity decreased >DM increased >resistance increased Volpi et al. (2011)
AcPMEI Transgenic wheat expresses AcPMEI
Actinidia chinensis (Kiwi) Fungus Bipolaris sorokiniana AcPMEI expression >PME activity decreased >DM increased >resistance increased Volpi et al. (2011)
AcPMEI Transgenic wheat expresses AcPMEI
Polygalactuonase inhibitor proteins (PGIPs)
Fungus Botrytis cinerea AtPGIP1 increased >resistance increased Ferrari et al. (2006)
AtPGIP1Antisense suppression
Brassica rapa (Chinese cabbage)Bacterium Pectobacterium carotovorum BrPGIP2 overexpressed > resistance increased Hwang et al. 2010
PGIPOverexpression lines
Solanum lycopersicum (tomato)Fungus Botrytis cinerea pPGIP increased >resistance increased (B. cinerea endo-PGs inhibited) Powell et al. (2000)
pPGIPExpression of a pear PGIP
Vitis vinifera (grape)Fungus Botrytis cinerea VvPGIP1 increased >resistance increased (BcPG1 inhibited) Joubert et al. (2006)
VvPGIP1Overexpression lines
Vitis vinifera (grape)Fungus Botrytis cinerea pPGIP increased >resistance increased Agüero et al. (2005)
pPGIPExpression of a pear PGIP
Fungus Botrytis cinerea AtPGIPs increased >resistance increased Ferrari et al. (2003)
AtPGIP1, AtPGIP2Overexpression lines
Phaseolus vulgaris (bean)Fungus Botrytis cinerea PvPGIP2 increased >resistance increased (BcPG1 inhibited) Manfredini et al. (2005)
PvPGIP2Overexpression lines
Phaseolus vulgaris (bean) Fungus Fusarium moniliforme PvPGIP2 inhibits FmPG Federeci et al. (2001)
PvPGIP2
Phaseolus vulgaris (bean)Fungus Aspergillus niger PvPGIP inhibits AnPG (endoPGII) King et al. (2002)
PvPGIP
Phaseolus vulgaris (bean)Fungus Botrytis cinerea PvPGIP2 increased >resistance increased (BcPG1 inhibited) Sicilia et al. (2005)
PvPGIP2
Pectin lyase inhibitor protein (PNLIP)
Beta vulgaris (sugar beet)Fungus Rhizoctonia solani Barley-grain inoculum applied for 2 weeks at 25 °C Bugbee (1993)
PNLIP PNLIP PNLIP activity higher in rotted tissues than in healthy

Piercing–sucking insects (yellow box), chewing insects (turquoise), bacteria (black), fungi (light grey), and viruses (red).

Species names in bold indicate necrotrophic pathogens.

HGMEs are involved in induced resistance against biotic stresses

The role of HGMEs in the production of endogenous elicitors during plant–bioaggressor interactions has been indirectly shown through the induction of all the main known plant defence responses following application of purified OGs, end-products of HGMEs. Indeed, within early signalling events, OGs induce H+ and Ca2+ influx, K+ efflux, membrane depolarization, extracellular medium alkalinization (Mathieu et al., 1991), protein phosphorylation/dephosphorylation, mitogen-actived protein kinase (MAPK) cascades, GTP-binding protein, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production (H2O2, O2 ) (Shibuya and Minami, 2001; Vallarino and Osorio, 2012). They also induce the expression of defence genes encoding proteins involved in (i) defence protein accumulation such as protease inhibitors, pathogenesis-related proteins (PRs), or PGIPs; (ii) SA and JA/ET biosynthesis and signalling; (iii) biosynthesis of defensive secondary metabolites such as phytoalexins; or (iv) plant cell wall reinforcement (Shibuya and Minami, 2001) (Fig. 6; Supplementary Table S2 at JXB online). Some cell wall proteins were reported to be involved in cell wall strengthening and papilla formation [peroxidase and hydroxyproline-rich glycoprotein (HRGP)]. Among HGMEs, only PG and PL were identified following elicitation by OGs. Wound-inducible PG activity was correlated to H2O2 production in most plants belonging to different families (Orozco-Cardenas and Ryan, 1999). Both responses were induced by OG treatment in tomato leaves (Orozco-Cardenas and Ryan, 1999), where PG gene expression and its corresponding activity were transiently increased (Bergey et al., 1999). In contrast, in Arabidopsis seedlings, a mixture of OGs (DP 9–16) did not change overall PG gene expression but repressed PL-PMR6 expression (Denoux et al., 2008). These differences are probably related to the plant species as well as the type and concentrations of OGs used. In fact, several studies have shown that the ability of OGs to act as elicitors is dependent on their chemical structure (DP, DM, pattern of methylesterification, and DA) (Ochoa-Villarreal et al., 2012). OGs with DP ranging from 1 to 20 are efficient elicitors (Côté and Hahn, 1994) (Fig. 6). The treatment by flagellin, a microbial-associated molecular pattern (MAMP) from bacteria, is mimicked by OGs in a range of DP from 9 to 16 to induce plant defences including cell wall reinforcement (Denoux et al., 2008). The critical DP triggering plant elicitation is dependent on both the type of defence responses measured for a given plant and the type of plant species (Côté and Hahn, 1994). OGs with a high DA led to wheat resistance against the necrotrophic fungus B. graminis (Randoux et al., 2010), while fully methylated OGs failed to induce defence signalling in soybean (Navazio et al., 2002). This variability highlights the difficulty in unravelling the relationship between the structure and function of OGs. Furthermore, in adequate ionic conditions, the Ca2+-egg box conformation of OGs improves their biological activity (Fig. 6). For example, dimeric and trimeric association of OGs induced a higher level of early and late defence responses in carrot (Messiaen et al., 1993). The ability of multimeric forms of OGs to elicit plant responses appears to depend on their maturation, which is likely to be necessary for their fixation on OG receptors (Cabrera et al., 2008). To date, wall-associated kinase 1 (WAK1), belonging to the WAK gene family (five in Arabidopsis), is the only receptor characterized for OG recognition inducing the defence signalling cascade (Wolf et al., 2012a ) (Fig. 6). Using chimeric proteins, the binding of OGs on its ectodomain was shown to activate specific plant defences following recognition by a leucine-rich repeat (LRR)-receptor kinase (EFR). Conversely, its intracellular kinase domain induced OG-specific plant defences after treatment by the EFR-specific elicitor (Brutus et al., 2010). Interestingly, OG monomers, dimers, and trimers have been reported to be inhibitors of disease resistance reactions independently of the way they are produced (plant cell wall autolysis or pathogen CWDE digestion) (Messiaen et al., 1993; Moerschbacher et al., 1999) (Fig. 6). As monomeric OGs inhibit phytoalexin accumulation [i.e. phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity] in carrot in contrast to the dimeric OG (Messiaen et al., 1993), HGME activity associated with ionic cell status may be a way to regulate plant responses by modifying OG structure. In non-challenged plants, the difference in the rate of activity between intrinsic plant exo-PG and endo-PG that give rise to different OG structures (elicitors or not) supports a regulation of the balance between active/non-active OG forms by plant HGMEs during stress. Nevertheless, in plant–bioaggressor interactions, although the endogenous OG production is mostly described as being in favour of the plant, it may also benefit the bioaggressor. The combination of the action of both virulent microbes and plant HGMEs might suppress OGs with an eliciting function. PG, PL, and PME are found in plants and in secretions of most bioaggressors (microbes, nematodes, and insects) (Shen et al., 2003, 2005; Harmel et al., 2010; Sharma et al., 2013) (Fig. 6). The types and distribution of HGMEs vary depending on the bioaggressor considered. For instance, among phytophagous insects, no HGME activity has been measured in chewing insects. In aphididae, PME activity has been detected in the saliva of all tested aphids except for Sitobion avenae, while they all possess PG activity (Harmel et al., 2010). The differences in HGME content of bioaggressors, together with the activity of plant enzymes, may have an effect on the quantity and structure of OGs released, thus enhancing or inhibiting specific MAMPs or HAMPs (herbivore-associated molecular patterns) plant defence responses (Felton and Tumlinson, 2008). While an oxidative burst can be induced by OGs, ROS themselves (H2O2) can give rise to a non-enzymatic OG production by oxidative breakdown of pectins (Miller, 1986; Fry, 1998) (Fig. 6).

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Involvement of HGMEs in plant defence responses to biotic stresses. Homogalacturonans (HGs) embedded in the cell wall after their synthesis in the Golgi apparatus with a high degree of polymerization (DP, minimum 72–100 galacturonic acid residues; Thibault et al., 1993) are O-acetylated [with a degree of acetylation (DA) of ~10%; Ralet et al. (2005)], and highly methylated [with a degree of methylesterification (DM) of ~80%; O’Neill and Albersheim (1990)]. Depending on the stress and growth states, these HGs will be demethylesterified by pectin methylesterases (PMEs) and/or deacetylated by pectin acetylesterases (PAEs), both enzyme activities being associated with the release of the volatile compounds methanol and ethanol, respectively. Depending on the cell wall properties, PMEs can act linearly, giving rise to blocks of free carboxyl groups that interact with bivalent ions (Ca2+) and contributing to cell wall strengthening (green frame), or can act randomly, promoting the action of downstream cell wall hydrolases [polygalacturonases (PGs) and pectate lyases (PLs)] and then contributing to cell wall loosening (Micheli, 2001). Cell wall strengthening restricts bioaggressor progression, while cell wall loosening may facilitate their penetration. The various bioaggressors (blue frames) that attempt to breach the plant cell wall release their own HGMEs (exogenous), including pectin lyases (PNLs), that could amplify or compete with the hydrolysis by plant HGMEs (endogenous). Consequently, following the activity of plant and bioaggressor hydrolases, small HG fragments called oligogalacturonides (OGs) are released. Most of these enzymes (plant PMEs or bioaggressor PGs, PNLs) could be modulated by PME, PG, or PNL inhibitors (PMEIs, PGIPs, and PNLIPs). Depending on their DP and the amount of free Ca2+, the OG monomers obtained can form multimers with an egg box conformation (Cabrera et al., 2008) and/or can act as endogenous elicitors. After OG recognition by a specific receptor [wall-associated kinase 1 (WAK1); Brutus et al. (2010)], various defence responses (red frame) are induced against the bioaggressor (Ridley et al., 2001) and could interact with growth modifications. Among them, ROS production (H2O2) can contribute to cell wall loosening with a non-enzymatic degradation of cell wall polysaccharides including HG (OG production; Miller, 1986; Fry, 1998). Plant PMEs also appear to act more directly during an interaction with some bioaggressors as they (bottom blue frame) specifically bind to a virus movement protein (MP; Chen et al., 2000) or a nematode cellulose-binding protein (CBP; Hewezi et al., 2008).

The aphid Diuraphis noxia induced massive H2O2 accumulation in resistance of wheat, while this effect was not detectable in the Brevicoryne brassicaeArabidopsis interaction (Moloi and van der Westhuizen, 2006; Kuśnierczyk et al., 2008). The observation of H2O2 accumulation in both compatible and incompatible interactions between the aphid Macrosiphum euphorbiae and tomatoes suggested that they might not have a preponderant role as enhancers of endogenous elicitor production (De Ilarduya et al., 2003). If the production of effective OGs is considered to be related to the balance between endogenous and exogenous HGME activities, specific regulators of HGMEs (PMEI, PGIP, and PNLIP) have to be taken into account (Table 3; Fig. 6). Among these protein inhibitors, at least one PGIP appears specifically directed to exogenous HGMEs and is used as a marker of the plant defence response. Plant PGIPs interact with PGs from various bioaggressors such as bacteria, fungi, and phytophagous insects (Albersheim and Anderson, 1971; D’Ovidio et al., 2004; Schacht et al., 2011) but are unlikely to target plant PGs (Cervone et al., 1990; Federici et al., 2001). PGIPs from different plant species can reduce PG activity from distinct pathogen species (Table 3), and one single PGIP can inhibit different fungal PGs; the PGIP2 of common bean inhibits Fusarium moniliforme, Aspergillus niger, and B. cinerea PGs (Federici et al., 2001; King et al., 2002; Sicilia et al., 2005). The expression of a pea PGIP gene was induced during pea defence against the cyst nematode Heterodera goettingiana; none of the PGs from the nematode was shown to interact with the plant PGIP (Veronico et al., 2011). Results concerning potential pectin lyase inhibitor protein (PNLIP) are rather scarce. A PNLIP from sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) was shown to inhibit fungal pectin lyases from Rhizoctonia solani, Phoma betae, and Aspergillus japonicus, but information about the inhibitor structure and regulation in plants is so far lacking (Table 3) (Bugbee, 1993; Juge, 2006). Plant PMEIs, which only target plant PMEs, could, however, play a role in resistance to pathogens by targeting specific plant PME isoforms, thus modulating the structure of pectins (Lionetti et al., 2007).

Plant HGMEs are involved in the emission of two volatile organic compounds (VOCs), MeOH and EtOH (Yadav et al., 2009), released by PME and PAE activity, respectively (Fig. 6). PME-mediated pectin remodelling appears to be the main MeOH producer, while EtOH is mostly attributed to fermentive reactions of glucose (Fall, 1999; Seco et al., 2007). Among the huge range of VOCs produced during plant defence responses, an increase in MeOH emissions has been measured after wounding (Dorokhov et al., 2012a ) and feeding by herbivore caterpillars (Peñuelas et al., 2005; Körner et al., 2009). In tobacco leaves, rapid and sustained emission of MeOH was observed after Manduca sexta wounding, and was enhanced in the presence of caterpillar oral secretions, due to both up-regulation of gene expression and activity of plant PMEs, and a decrease in the DM of pectins (Von Dahl et al., 2006). The role of MeOH in induced plant resistance appears dual. It may either diffuse as a signal or be catabolized into compounds that might be used in plant defence. First converted by a putative methanol oxidase into formaldehyde, a lethal compound, it is quickly bound to a nucleophile such as glutathione (S-formylglutathione), turned into formate, and used as a carbon source incorporated into plant one-carbon metabolism (C1 folate pool) or the Calvin–Benson cycle (CO2) (Gout et al., 2000; Achkor et al., 2003; Wojtasik et al., 2011). Ethanol may also be oxidized into acetyl-coenzyme A via alcohol dehydrogenases involved in primary metabolism (Leblová et al., 1977). In Arabidopsis, glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase, known as S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR), plays a key role in regulating nitric oxide and S-nitrosoglutathione levels as well as being a signal in systemic resistance against pathogens (Martínez et al., 1996; Rustérucci et al., 2007). As nitric oxide and S-nitrosothiols are signalling molecules that regulate immunity, MeOH release by PMEs seems to act as a quantitative signal during plant–herbivore interactions. Silencing the endogenous PME gene suppressed MeOH release and led to reduced accumulation of PGIP involved in tobacco leaf resistance against M. sexta (Körner et al., 2009). While wounding regulated the GSNOR gene, the direct effect of MeOH on its regulation is still not clear (Downie et al., 2004). For instance, several MeOH-inducible genes were identified, some of which are known to encode proteins involved in plant resistance, especially in antibacterial resistance, virus spreading (Dorokhov et al., 2012a ), or anthocyanin and flavonoid content (Downie et al., 2004). PME-mediated MeOH production was recently shown to act as a cross-kingdom signal (Dorokhov et al., 2012b ). Indeed, in mice, some MeOH-inducible genes are involved in their preference for MeOH sources such as wounded leaves. As caterpillar oral secretions increased VOC emission, which is known to attract predators or parasitoids against insects or nematodes (Kahl et al., 2000; Heil, 2008), as well as MeOH (Von Dahl et al., 2006), PME appears to play a role in both indirect (VOCs) and direct plant defences (signal/elicitor producer).

Concluding remarks and perspectives

The contribution of the changes in the pectic network to the changes in cell wall rheology, enabling anisotropic growth or response to biotic stress, has been well documented over recent years. However, how the changes in HG-type pectins are spatially and temporally mediated, through the specific action of HGMEs, remains a central issue in our understanding of plant development. Until now, major advances in understanding the contribution of these enzymes to changes in development have mainly concerned PMEs. This notably includes their roles in mediating discrete changes in HG structure during the interaction with pathogens, the regulation of primordia emergence, pollen tube and hypocotyl elongation, as well as the identification of novel post-translational control of their activity through the processing of the proteins by serine proteases and/or their interaction with specific inhibitors (PMEIs). Although much progress has been made when considering PMEs, many challenges remain; for instance, the identification of specific PME–SBT and PME–PMEI pairs in the cell wall, the understanding of the potential polarity of the trafficking of PMEs to the cell wall, and its role in generating specific localized demethylesterification patterns through interaction of the enzymes with pH and ion microdomains. In addition, given the recent discovery of the interplay between hormonal signalling and PMEs, further research could include the determination of the upstream regulators of PME transcription, including transcription factors and hormone levels, and possible feedback loops.

Other classes of plant HGMEs, including PGs, PLLs, and PAEs, have received surprisingly little attention over the last few years, which probably does not reflect the importance of these enzymes in mediating changes in HG structure. As for PMEs, this could be related to the difficulties in determining strong phenotypes in KO mutants, with the occurrence of compensation mechanisms. When considering these multigenic families, the identification of compensation isoforms using dedicated tools, at both the transcript and protein levels, will help to provide a comprehensive overview of the underlying changes in cell wall structure. In particular, the roles of pectic fragments in generating plant responses to stress and in mediating changes in development will need further investigation. This will involve the identification of potential receptors of cell wall fragments, and of their specificity with regard to DP, DM, or DA. In parallel, the biochemical characterization of PMEs, PGs, PLLs, and PAEs will enable their substrate specificity and pH preference to be determined. In particular, how the PME-mediated changes in HG structure can influence the activity of PGs, PLLs, and PAEs will be a key issue in our understanding of the possible interplay of these enzymes in muro. This could be used to implement the current models illustrating the interaction between HGs and HGMEs in the cell wall environment (Figs 4, ,66).

Supplementary data

Supplementary data are available at JXB online.

Table S1. Comparative inventory of the structural motifs of PME, PAE, PG, and PLL isoforms between dicot and monocot species.

Table S2. Gene expression variations of HG-modifying enzyme inhibitor proteins (PMEIs and PGIPs) after biotic stresses.

Supplementary Data:

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Ministry of Education support for the PhD scholarship CW. This work was supported by a grant from the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-09-BLANC-0007-01, GROWPEC project), by the EC INTERREG IVA No. 4166 ‘Trans channel Wallnet’ program, and by the Conseil Régional de Picardie through a PhD studentship awarded to FS. Financial support from the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF) to JP is gratefully acknowledged.

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