Cell wall development in an elongating internode of Setaria

Abstract

Although Setaria has been proposed as a model to investigate C4 photosynthesis, it may also be considered a suitable representative for biofuel feedstock species that are predominantly closely related panicoid grasses. In order to extend our understanding of the fundamental molecular and physiological mechanisms underpinning cell wall deposition as they occur during plant development, we have investigated an elongating stem internode of S. viridis. The chosen internode progressed from an active meristem and region of cell expansion at the base of the internode towards maturing fully expanded cells at the top of the internode. Along this developmental gradient, RNAseq of the mRNA fraction of the transcriptome was undertaken. A holistic understanding of the synthesis, composition and structure of the cell wall and the molecular mechanisms that signal the transition from primary to secondary cell wall synthesis will be integral to engineering crops with a structure that lends itself to more efficient deconstruction.