Root border cells and mucilage secretions of soybean, Glycine max (Merr) L.: characterization and role in interactions with the oomycete Phytophthora parasitica

Marc Ropitaux (1) , Sophie Bernard (1, 2) , Damien Schapman (2) , Marie-Laure Follet-Gueye (1, 2) , Maïté Vicré (1) , Isabelle Boulogne (1) , Azeddine Driouich (1, 2)

1 Glyco-MEV - Laboratoire de Glycobiologie et Matrice Extracellulaire Végétale
2 PRIMACEN - Plate-Forme de Recherche en Imagerie Cellulaire de Haute-Normandie

Root border cells (BCs) and their associated secretions form a protective structure termed the root extracellular trap (RET) that plays a major role in root interactions with soil borne microorganisms. In this study, we investigated the release and morphology of BCs of Glycine max using light and cryo-scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We also examined the occurrence of cell-wall glycomolecules in BCs and secreted mucilage using immunofluorescence microscopy in conjunction with anti-glycan antibodies. Our data show that root tips released three populations of BCs defined as spherical, intermediate and elongated cells. The mechanism of shedding seemed to be cell morphotype-specific. The data also show that mucilage contained pectin, cellulose, extracellular DNA, histones and two hemicellulosic polysaccharides, xyloglucan and heteromannan. The latter has never been reported previously in any plant root secretions. Both hemicellulosic polysaccharides formed a dense fibrillary network embedding BCs and holding them together within the mucilage. Finally, we investigated the effect of the RET on the interactions of root with the pathogenic oomycete Phytophthora parasitica early during infection. Our findings reveal that the RET prevented zoospores from colonizing root tips by blocking their entry into root tissues and inducing their lysis.

Keywords: border cells; bell wall; defense; ExDNA; heteromannan; immuno-microscopy; mucilage; polysaccharides; root; xyloglucan

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Vegetal Biology; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Cellular Biology; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Development Biology; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Vegetal Biology; Phytopathology and phytopharmacy; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Biochemistry, Molecular Biology; Biochemistry [q-bio.BM]; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Biochemistry, Molecular Biology; Molecular biology; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Biotechnology; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Vegetal Biology; Plant breeding; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Biochemistry, Molecular Biology; Genomics [q-bio.GN]; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Cellular Biology; Subcellular Processes [q-bio.SC]; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Cellular Biology; Cell Behavior [q-bio.CB]

Marc Ropitaux, Sophie Bernard, Damien Schapman, Marie-Laure Follet-Gueye, Maïté Vicré, et al.. Root border cells and mucilage secretions of soybean, Glycine max (Merr) L.: characterization and role in interactions with the oomycete Phytophthora parasitica. Cells, 2020, 9, pp.2215. ⟨10.3390/cells9102215⟩. ⟨hal-02975399⟩