@article{LissoSchroederMuessig2013, author = {Lisso, Janina and Schr{\"o}der, Florian and M{\"u}ssig, Carsten}, title = {EXO modifies sucrose and trehalose responses and connects the extracellular carbon status to growth}, series = {Frontiers in plant science}, volume = {4}, journal = {Frontiers in plant science}, number = {25}, publisher = {Frontiers Research Foundation}, address = {Lausanne}, issn = {1664-462X}, doi = {10.3389/fpls.2013.00219}, pages = {18}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Plants have the capacity to adapt growth to changing environmental conditions. This implies the modulation of metabolism according to the availability of carbon (C). Particular interest in the response to the C availability is based on the increasing atmospheric levels of CO2. Several regulatory pathways that link the C status to growth have emerged. The extracellular EXO protein is essential for cell expansion and promotes shoot and root growth. Homologous proteins were identified in evolutionarily distant green plants. We show here that the EXO protein connects growth with C responses. The exo mutant displayed altered responses to exogenous sucrose supplemented to the growth medium. Impaired growth of the mutant in synthetic medium was associated with the accumulation of starch and anthocyanins, altered expression of sugar-responsive genes, and increased abscisic acid levels. Thus, EXO modulates several responses related to the C availability. Growth retardation on medium supplemented with 2-deoxy-glucose, mannose, and palatinose was similar to the wildtype. Trehalose feeding stimulated root growth and shoot biomass production of exoplants where as it inhibited growth of the wildtype. The phenotypic features of the exo mutant suggest that apoplastic processes coordinate growth and C responses.}, language = {en} } @misc{SchroederLissoLangeetal.2009, author = {Schr{\"o}der, Florian and Lisso, Janina and Lange, Peggy and M{\"u}ssig, Carsten}, title = {The extracellular EXO protein mediates cell expansion in Arabidopsis leaves}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-45107}, year = {2009}, abstract = {Background: The EXO (EXORDIUM) gene was identified as a potential mediator of brassinosteroid (BR)-promoted growth. It is part of a gene family with eight members in Arabidopsis. EXO gene expression is under control of BR, and EXO overexpression promotes shoot and root growth. In this study, the consequences of loss of EXO function are described. Results: The exo loss of function mutant showed diminished leaf and root growth and reduced biomass production. Light and scanning electron microscopy analyses revealed that impaired leaf growth is due to reduced cell expansion. Epidermis, palisade, and spongy parenchyma cells were smaller in comparison to the wild-type. The exo mutant showed reduced brassinolide-induced cotyledon and hypocotyl growth. In contrast, exo roots were significantly more sensitive to the inhibitory effect of synthetic brassinolide. Apart from reduced growth, exo did not show severe morphological abnormalities. Gene expression analyses of leaf material identified genes that showed robust EXO-dependent expression. Growth-related genes such as WAK1, EXP5, and KCS1, and genes involved in primary and secondary metabolism showed weaker expression in exo than in wild-type plants. However, the vast majority of BR-regulated genes were normally expressed in exo. HA- and GFP-tagged EXO proteins were targeted to the apoplast. Conclusion: The EXO gene is essential for cell expansion in leaves. Gene expression patterns and growth assays suggest that EXO mediates BR-induced leaf growth. However, EXO does not control BR-levels or BR-sensitivity in the shoot. EXO presumably is involved in a signalling process which coordinates BR-responses with environmental or developmental signals. The hypersensitivity of exo roots to BR suggests that EXO plays a diverse role in the control of BR responses in the root.}, language = {en} }