Abstract
Wall-associated kinases/kinase-likes (WAKs/WAKLs) are plant cell surface sensors. A variety of studies have revealed the important functions of WAKs/WAKLs in regulating cell expansion and defense in cells with primary cell walls. Less is known about their roles during the development of the secondary cell walls (SCWs) that are present in xylem vessel (XV) and interfascicular fiber (IF) cells. In this study, we used RNA-seq data to screen Arabidopsis thaliana WAKs/WAKLs members that may be involved in SCW development and identified WAKL8 as a candidate. We obtained T-DNA insertion mutants wakl8-1 (inserted at the promoter region) and wakl8-2 (inserted at the first exon) and compared the phenotypes to wild-type (WT) plants. Decreased WAKL8 transcript levels in stems were found in the wakl8-2 mutant plants, and the phenotypes observed included reduced stem length and thinner walls in XV and IFs compared with those in the WT plants. Cell wall analysis showed no significant changes in the crystalline cellulose or lignin content in mutant stems compared with those in the WT. We found that WAKL8 had alternative spliced versions predicted to have only extracellular regions, which may interfere with the function of the full-length version of WAKL8. Our results suggest WAKL8 can regulate SCW thickening in Arabidopsis stems.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
RNA-seq screening identified WAKL8 as a candidate for Arabidopsis secondary wall development.
- Taxon
- Arabidopsis thaliana
Arabidopsis thalianae0 - Gene
- WAKL8e0
- Outcome
- identified WAKL8 as a candidatee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In this study, we used RNA-seq data to screen Arabidopsis thaliana WAKs/WAKLs members that may be involved in SCW development and identified WAKL8 as a candidate.”
Claim · model-written summary
The wakl8-2 mutant had decreased WAKL8 stem transcript levels.
- Taxon
- ArabidopsisArabidopsist0
- Material
- wakl8-2e0
- Organ / stage
- stemse0
- Treatment
- wakl8-2e0
- Gene
- WAKL8e0
- Outcome
- WAKL8 transcript levelse0
- Direction
- Decreasede0
- Comparator
- wild-type (WT) plantse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Decreased WAKL8 transcript levels in stems were found in the wakl8-2 mutant plants”
t0“Arabidopsis”
e1“compared the phenotypes to wild-type (WT) plants”
Claim · model-written summary
wakl8-2 plants had reduced stem length relative to wild type.
- Taxon
- ArabidopsisArabidopsist0
- Treatment
- wakl8-2e0
- Outcome
- stem lengthe0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Comparator
- WT plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Decreased WAKL8 transcript levels in stems were found in the wakl8-2 mutant plants, and the phenotypes observed included reduced stem length and thinner walls in XV and IFs compared with those in the WT plants.”
t0“Arabidopsis”
Claim · model-written summary
wakl8-2 plants had thinner xylem vessel and interfascicular fiber walls than wild type.
- Taxon
- ArabidopsisArabidopsist0
- Treatment
- wakl8-2e0
- Outcome
- walls in XV and IFse0
- Direction
- thinnere0
- Comparator
- WT plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Decreased WAKL8 transcript levels in stems were found in the wakl8-2 mutant plants, and the phenotypes observed included reduced stem length and thinner walls in XV and IFs compared with those in the WT plants.”
t0“Arabidopsis”
Claim · model-written summary
Mutant Arabidopsis stems showed no significant changes in crystalline cellulose or lignin content compared with wild type.
- Taxon
- ArabidopsisArabidopsist0
- Organ / stage
- stemse0
- Treatment
- mutante0
- Outcome
- crystalline cellulose or lignin contente0
- Direction
- no significant changese0
- Comparator
- WTe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Cell wall analysis showed no significant changes in the crystalline cellulose or lignin content in mutant stems compared with those in the WT.”
t0“Arabidopsis”
Claim · model-written summary
WAKL8 has alternative splice versions predicted to contain only extracellular regions.
- Taxon
- ArabidopsisArabidopsist0
- Gene
- WAKL8e0
- Outcome
- alternative spliced versions predicted to have only extracellular regionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“We found that WAKL8 had alternative spliced versions predicted to have only extracellular regions”
t0“Arabidopsis”
Claim · model-written summary
Alternative WAKL8 splice versions may interfere with full-length WAKL8 function.
- Taxon
- ArabidopsisArabidopsist0
- Gene
- WAKL8e0
- Outcome
- function of the full-length version of WAKL8e0
- Qualifier
- may interferee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“We found that WAKL8 had alternative spliced versions predicted to have only extracellular regions, which may interfere with the function of the full-length version of WAKL8.”
t0“Arabidopsis”
Claim · model-written summary
WAKL8 may regulate secondary cell wall thickening in Arabidopsis stems.
- Taxon
- ArabidopsisArabidopsise0
- Organ / stage
- stemse0
- Gene
- WAKL8e0
- Outcome
- SCW thickeninge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Our results suggest WAKL8 can regulate SCW thickening in Arabidopsis stems.”