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Dynamics of pectic homogalacturonan in cellular morphogenesis and adhesion, wall integrity sensing and plant development

Nature Plants volume 8, pages 332–340 (2022)Cite this article

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An Author Correction to this article was published on 01 June 2022

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Abstract

Homogalacturonan (HG) is the most abundant pectin subtype in plant cell walls. Although it is a linear homopolymer, its modification states allow for complex molecular encoding. HG metabolism affects its structure, chemical properties, mobility and binding capacity, allowing it to interact dynamically with other polymers during wall assembly and remodelling and to facilitate anisotropic cell growth, cell adhesion and separation, and organ morphogenesis. HGs have also recently been found to function as signalling molecules that transmit information about wall integrity to the cell. Here we highlight recent advances in our understanding of the dual functions of HG as a dynamic structural component of the cell wall and an initiator of intrinsic and environmental signalling. We also predict how HG might interconnect the cell wall, plasma membrane and intracellular components with transcriptional networks to regulate plant growth and development.

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Fig. 1: HG molecular structure and metabolism.
Fig. 2: Functions of HG in wall integrity signalling.
Fig. 3: The many roles of pectic HG in plant development.

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Acknowledgements

We thank members of the Xiao Lab, the Anderson Lab and the Center for Lignocellulose Structure and Formation for insightful discussions. This work was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (grant no. SCU2021D006) and the Institutional Research Fund from Sichuan University (grant no. 2020SCUNL302) to C.X., and the Joint Science and Technology Support Program of Sichuan University and Panzhihua City to J.D. (grant no. 2019CDPZH-19). The contributions of C.T.A. to this work were supported as part of the Center for Lignocellulose Structure and Formation, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences under award no. DE-SC0001090.

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  1. Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China

    Juan Du & Chaowen Xiao

  2. Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Charles T. Anderson

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  2. Charles T. Anderson
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J.D., C.T.A. and C.X. contributed to the writing and editing of the manuscript and the generation of the figures.

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Correspondence to Chaowen Xiao.

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Nature Plants thanks Alexis Peaucelle, Jérôme Pelloux and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

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Du, J., Anderson, C.T. & Xiao, C. Dynamics of pectic homogalacturonan in cellular morphogenesis and adhesion, wall integrity sensing and plant development. Nat. Plants 8, 332–340 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-022-01120-2

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