Glucosylceramides are critical for cell-type differentiation and organogenesis, but not for cell viability in Arabidopsis.

ABSTRACT: Glucosylceramides (GlcCer), glucose-conjugated sphingolipids, are major components of the endomembrane system and plasma membrane in most eukaryotic cells. Yet the quantitative significance and cellular functions of GlcCer are not well characterized in plants and other multi-organ eukaryotes. To address this, we examined Arabidopsis lines that were lacking or deficient in GlcCer by insertional disruption or by RNA interference (RNAi) suppression of the single gene for GlcCer synthase (GCS, At2g19880), the enzyme that catalyzes GlcCer synthesis. Null mutants for GCS (designated 'gcs-1') were viable as seedlings, albeit strongly reduced in size, and failed to develop beyond the seedling stage. Heterozygous plants harboring the insertion allele exhibited reduced transmission through the male

SUBMITTER: Msanne J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4765501 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature