NKS1/ELMO4 is an integral protein of a pectin synthesis protein complex and maintains Golgi morphology and cell adhesion in Arabidopsis

Rahul S. Lathe, Heather E. McFarlane, Christopher Kesten, Liu Wang, Ghazanfar Abbas Khan, Berit Ebert, Eduardo Antonio Ramírez-Rodríguez, Shuai Zheng, Niels Noord, Kristian Frandsen, Rishikesh P. Bhalerao, Staffan Persson

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)
9 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Adjacent plant cells are connected by specialized cell wall regions, called middle lamellae, which influence critical agricultural characteristics, including fruit ripening and organ abscission. Middle lamellae are enriched in pectin polysaccharides, specifically homogalacturonan (HG). Here, we identify a plant-specific Arabidopsis DUF1068 protein, called NKS1/ELMO4, that is required for middle lamellae integrity and cell adhesion. NKS1 localizes to the Golgi apparatus and loss of NKS1 results in changes to Golgi structure and function. The nks1 mutants also display HG deficient phenotypes, including reduced seedling growth, changes to cell wall composition, and tissue integrity defects. These phenotypes are comparable to qua1 and qua2 mutants, which are defective in HG biosynthesis. Notably, genetic interactions indicate that NKS1 and the QUAs work in a common pathway. Protein interaction analyses and modeling corroborate that they work together in a stable protein complex with other pectin-related proteins. We propose that NKS1 is an integral part of a large pectin synthesis protein complex and that proper function of this complex is important to support Golgi structure and function.
Original languageEnglish
Article numbere2321759121
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume121
Issue number15
Number of pages11
ISSN0027-8424
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Keywords

  • Arabidopsis
  • cell biology
  • cell walls
  • Golgi apparatus
  • pectin

Cite this