TBR is an RG-I rhamnose O-acetyltransferase required for epidermal cell adhesion in Arabidopsis thaliana

TBR is an RG-I rhamnose O-acetyltransferase required for epidermal cell adhesion in Arabidopsis thaliana | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article TBR is an RG-I rhamnose O-acetyltransferase required for epidermal cell adhesion in Arabidopsis thaliana Cezary Waszczak, Marina Leal Gavarrón, Lubana Shahin, Jiri Vlach, and 19 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5416360/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Pectins are enriched in primary cell walls and the middle lamella, determining cell-to-cell adhesion. O-acetylation of pectin backbones influences their physicochemical properties and plays a role in plant development and interactions with the environment. Here we report the isolation and mapping of two trichome birefringence (tbr) mutants from an ozone-sensitivity screen and show that TBR is required for leaf epidermal cell adhesion. We further demonstrate that TBR is an RG-I rhamnose O-acetyltransferase with an acidic pH optimum, and, through structure-function modelling coupled with biochemical analysis determine the significance of mutated amino acid residues. Notably, TBR utilizes multiple O-acetyl donors, and is able to form acyl-enzyme intermediates in the presence of acetylated pectins, suggesting transacetylase activity. We propose that, in tbr, loss of cell adhesion stems from cell wall modifications triggered by decreased RG-I acetylation during leaf cell proliferation. Together, our data suggest that RG-I O-acetylation affects cell adhesion. Biological sciences/Plant sciences/Plant development Biological sciences/Plant sciences/Plant molecular biology Biological sciences/Biological techniques/Experimental organisms/Model plants/Arabidopsis thaliana Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SupplementaryDataset1.xlsx Supplementary Data Set 1 SupplementaryDataSet2.xlsx Supplementary Data Set 2 SupplementaryDataSet3.xlsx Supplementary Data Set 3 20241029Extendedandsupplementarydatahighres.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5416360","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":381544394,"identity":"e8c73845-3f70-4409-ada0-07e87204cf66","order_by":0,"name":"Cezary 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