Glycomolecules: from “sweet immunity” to “sweet biostimulation”? I. Boulogne, C. Mirande‐Ney, S. Bernard, M. Bardor, J.‐C. Mollet, et al. Physiologia Plantarum, 2024 Climate changes and environmental contaminants are daunting challenges that require an urgent change from current agricultural practices to sustainable agriculture. Biostimulants are natural solutions that adhere to the principles of organic farming and are believed to have low impacts on the environment and human health. Further, they may contribute to reducing the use of chemical inputs while maintaining productivity in adverse environments. Biostimulants are generally defined as formulated substances and microorganisms showing benefits for plant growth, yield, rhizosphere function, nutrient‐use efficiency, quality of harvested products, or abiotic stress tolerance. These biosolutions are categorized in different subclasses. Several of them are enriched in glycomolecules and their oligomers. However, very few studies have considered them as active molecules in biostimulation and as a subclass on their own. Herein, we describe the structure and the functions of complex polysaccharides, glycoproteins, and glycolipids in relation to plant defense or biostimulation. We also discuss the parallels between sugar‐enhanced plant defense and biostimulation with glycomolecules and introduce the concept of sweet biostimulation or glycostimulation.
The Light-Controlled Release of 2-fluoro-l-fucose, an Inhibitor of the Root Cell Elongation, from a nitrobenzyl-caged Derivative Mathieu Carlier, Thomas Poisson, Jean-Claude Mollet, Patrice Lerouge, Cyrille Sabot, et al. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2023 Glycan metabolic engineering is a powerful tool for studying the glycosylation in living plant cells. The use of modified monosaccharides such as deoxy or fluorine-containing glycosides has been reported as a powerful pharmacological approach for studying the carbohydrate metabolism. 1,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-2-fluoro-l-fucose (2F-Fuc) is a potent inhibitor of the plant cell elongation. After feeding plant seedlings with 2F-Fuc, this monosaccharide derivative is deacetylated and converted by the endogenous metabolic machinery into the corresponding nucleotide-sugar, which then efficiently inhibits Golgi-localized fucosyltransferases. Among plant cell wall polymers, defects in the fucosylation of the pectic rhamnogalacturonan-II cause a decrease in RG-II dimerization, which in turn induce the arrest of the cell elongation. In order to perform the inhibition of the cell elongation process in a spatio-temporal manner, we synthesized a caged 3,4-di-O-acetyl-1-hydroxy-2-fluoro-l-fucose (1-OH-2F-Fuc) derivative carrying a photolabile ortho-nitrobenzyl alcohol function at the anomeric position: 3,4-di-O-acetyl-1-ortho-nitrobenzyl-2-fluoro-l-fucose (2F-Fuc-NB). The photorelease of the trapped 1-OH-2F-Fuc was performed under a 365 nm LED illumination. We demonstrated that the in planta elimination by photoexcitation of the photolabile group releases free 2F-Fuc in plant cells, which in turn inhibits in a dose-dependent manner and, reversibly, the root cell elongation.
Dynamic imaging of cell wall polysaccharides by metabolic click-mediated labeling of pectins in living elongating cells Marc Ropitaux, Quentin Hays, Aurélie Baron, Laura Fourmois, Isabelle Boulogne, et al. Plant Journal, 2022 Investigation of protein tracking in living plant cells has became a routine experiment with the emergence of reporter genes encoding fluorescent tags. Unfortunately, this imaging strategy is not applicable to glycans because their synthesis is not directly encoded by the genome. Indeed, complex glycans result from sequential additions and/or removals of monosaccharides by the glycosyltransferases and glycosidases of the cell's biosynthetic machinery. To date, the imaging of cell wall polymers mainly relies on the use of antibodies or dyes that exhibit variable specificities. However, as immunolocalisation typically requires sample fixation, it does not provide access to the dynamics of living cells. The development of click chemistry in plant cell wall biology offers an alternative for live-cell labelling. It consists of the incorporation of a carbohydrate containing a bio-orthogonal chemical reporter into the target polysaccharide using the endogenous biosynthetic machinery of the cell. Once synthesized and deposited in the cell wall, the polysaccharide containing the analogue monosaccharide is covalently coupled to an exogenous fluorescent probe. Here, we developed a metabolic-click labelling approach which allows the imaging of cell wall polysaccharides in living and elongating cells without affecting cell viability. The protocol was established using the pollen tube, a useful model to follow cell wall dynamics due to its fast and tip-polarized growth, but was also successfully tested on Arabidopsis root cells and root hairs. This method offers the possibility of imaging metabolically incorporated sugars of viable and elongating cells, allowing the study of the long-term dynamics of labelled extracellular polysaccharides.
Two Carbohydrate-Based Natural Extracts Stimulate in vitro Pollen Germination and Pollen Tube Growth of Tomato Under Cold Temperatures Ferdousse Laggoun, Nusrat Ali, Sabine Tourneur, Grégoire Prudent, Bruno Gügi, et al. Frontiers in Plant Science, 2021 To date, it is widely accepted by the scientific community that many agricultural regions will experience more extreme temperature fluctuations. These stresses will undoubtedly impact crop production, particularly fruit and seed yields. In fact, pollination is considered as one of the most temperature-sensitive phases of plant development and until now, except for the time-consuming and costly processes of genetic breeding, there is no immediate alternative to address this issue. In this work, we used a multidisciplinary approach using physiological, biochemical, and molecular techniques for studying the effects of two carbohydrate-based natural activators on in vitro tomato pollen germination and pollen tube growth cultured in vitro under cold conditions. Under mild and strong cold temperatures, these two carbohydrate-based compounds significantly enhanced pollen germination and pollen tube growth. The two biostimulants did not induce significant changes in the classical molecular markers implicated in pollen tube growth. Neither the number of callose plugs nor the CALLOSE SYNTHASE genes expression were significantly different between the control and the biostimulated pollen tubes when pollens were cultivated under cold conditions. PECTIN METHYLESTERASE (PME) activities were also similar but a basic PME isoform was not produced or inactive in pollen grown at 8°C. Nevertheless, NADPH oxidase (RBOH) gene expression was correlated with a higher number of viable pollen tubes in biostimulated pollen tubes compared to the control. Our results showed that the two carbohydrate-based products were able to reduce in vitro the effect of cold temperatures on tomato pollen tube growth and at least for one of them to modulate reactive oxygen species production.
Ethylene signaling modulates tomato pollen tube growth through modifications of cell wall remodeling and calcium gradient Rasha Althiab‐Almasaud, Yi Chen, Elie Maza, Anis Djari, Pierre Frasse, et al. Plant Journal, 2021 Ethylene modulates plant developmental processes including flower development. Previous studies have suggested ethylene participation in pollen tube (PT) elongation, and both ethylene production and perception seem critical at fertilization time. The full gene set regulated by ethylene during PT growth is unknown. To study this, we used various EThylene Receptors (ETRs) tomato mutants: etr3-ko, a loss-of-function (LOF) mutant; and NR (Never Ripe), a gain of function (GOF) mutant. The etr3-ko PTs grew faster than its wild type, WT. Oppositely, NR PT elongation was slower than its wild type, and PTs displayed larger diameters. ETR mutations created feedbacks on ethylene production. Furthermore, the ethylene treatment of germinating pollen grains increased PT length in etr-ko mutants and WT, but not in NR. Treatments with the ethylene perception inhibitor, 1-MCP, decreased PT length in etr-ko mutants and wild types, but had no effect on NR. This confirmed that ethylene regulates PT growth. The comparison of PT transcriptomes in LOF and GOF mutants, etr3-ko and NR, both mutated on the ETR3 gene, revealed that ethylene perception has major impacts on cell wall- and calcium-related genes as confirmed by microscopic observations showing a modified distribution of the methylesterified homogalacturonan pectic motif and of calcium load. Our results establish links between PT growth, ethylene, calcium and cell wall metabolisms, and also constitute a transcriptomic resource.
Marquage métabolique par “click-chemistry” pour l’étude de la dynamique des pectines de la paroi cellulaire végétale M Ropitaux, Q Hays, A Baron, L Fourmois, I Boulogne, B Vauzeilles, ... 14eme journées Scientifiques et Techniques du réseau des microscopistes INRAE , 2025 2025
Glycomolecules: from “sweet immunity” to “sweet biostimulation”? I Boulogne, C Mirande‐Ney, S Bernard, M Bardor, JC Mollet, P Lerouge, ... Physiologia Plantarum 176 (6), e14640 , 2024 2024 Citations: 6
Use of an acid whey to stimulate the germination of a plant pollen grain EE NGUEMA-ONA, F Cruz, F Jamois, S PLUCHON, JC Mollet, A LEHNER US Patent App. 18/681,308 , 2024 2024
Pollen viability, longevity, and function in angiosperms: key drivers and prospects for improvement R Althiab-Almasaud, E Teyssier, C Chervin, MA Johnson, JC Mollet Plant Reproduction 37 (3), 273-293 , 2024 2024 Citations: 34
Cell Adhesion and Growth of Arabidopsis thaliana Pollen Tubes J Cremer, O Perruchon, B Gügi, A Lehner, JC Mollet 27ème Journées de l'école doctorale normande BISE , 2024 2024
Additive and Specific Effects of Elicitor Treatments on the Metabolic Profile of Arabidopsis thaliana L Cabre, L Jing, M Makechemu, K Heluin, S El Khamlichi, J Leprince, ... Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions 37 (2), 112-126 , 2024 2024 Citations: 9
Subcellular localization of core beta (1, 2)-xylosylated N-glycoproteins in the green microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii M Ropitaux, S Bernard, I Boulogne, D Goux, JC Mollet, P Lerouge, ... Algal Research 77, 103366 , 2024 2024 Citations: 3
Revisiting pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) at metabolomic level: Implications for the improvement of Plant elicitor efficacy in the field L Cabre, L Jing, M Makechemu, K Heluin, S El-Khamlichi, J Leprince, ... 12th International Congress of Plant Pathology , 2023 2023
Studying the dynamics of cell wall polysaccharides by metabolic click-mediated labeling of pectins M Ropitaux, Q Hays, A Baron, L Fourmois, I Boulogne, B Vauzeilles, ... < bound method Organization. get_name_with_acronym of< Organization … , 2023 2023
Use of glycans metabolic engineering for studying plant cell wall biosynthesis and functions Q Hays, M Carlier, M Ropitaux, A Baron, B Vauzeilles, T Poisson, C Sabot, ... Eurocarb21, The 21st European Carbohydrate Symposium , 2023 2023
Ulva lactuca arabinogalactan-proteins activate immune responses in plants via elicitor activity T Prerovska, L Cabre, M Makechemu, B Jindrichova, MC Kiefer-Meyer, ... The XVI Plant Cell Wall Meeting (PCWM2023) , 2023 2023
The Light-Controlled Release of 2-fluoro- l -fucose, an Inhibitor of the Root Cell Elongation, from a nitrobenzyl-caged Derivative M Carlier, T Poisson, JC Mollet, P Lerouge, C Sabot, A Lehner International Journal of Molecular Sciences 24 (3), 2533 , 2023 2023 Citations: 2
Rapid evolution of pollen and pistil traits as a response to sexual selection in the post-pollination phase of mating J Tonnabel, P Cosette, A Lehner, JC Mollet, MAB Mlouka, L Grladinovic, ... Current Biology 32 (20), 4465-4472. e6 , 2022 2022 Citations: 11
N-glycosylation pathway understanding: a prerequisite need for the production of biologics in Microalgae N Mati-Baouche, M Ropitaux, S Bernard, P Chan, C Plasson, C Burel, ... 13th Canadian Association for Plant Biotechnology Conference , 2022 2022
Improving efficacy of plant elicitors in the field: revisiting Plant-triggered immunity at metabolomic level L Cabre, K Heluin, S El-Khamlichi, L Jing, J Leprince, MC Kiefer-Meyer, ... Plant BioProTech , 2022 2022
Glycosyltransferase inhibitor engineering and its uses to study plant cell growth M Carlier, T Poisson, C Sabot, JC Mollet, P Lerouge, A Lehner 2èmes journées du GDR chemobiologie et 34ème journées Chimie-Biologie-Santé … , 2022 2022
Characterization of recombinant bispecific anti-HIV antibodies produced in HEK cells and tobacco plants ML Walet-Balieu, JC Mollet, C Burel, J Blanco, N Holton, P Lerouge, ... 28èmes Journées du Groupe Français des Glycosciences , 2022 2022
Use of metabolic-click labelling sugars to visualize the dynamic of cell wall polysaccharides in living tip-polarized growing cells M Ropitaux, Q Hays, A Baron, L Fourmois, I Boulogne, B Vauzeilles, ... 28èmes Journées du Groupe Français des Glycosciences , 2022 2022
Exploring the subcellular localization of xylosylated N-glycoproteins in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii M Ropitaux, S Bernard, I Boulogne, M Buron, PCT Song, D Goux, ... 28èmes Journées du Groupe Français des Glycosciences , 2022 2022
Imagerie dynamique de polysaccharides pariétaux par une technique de marquage métabolique sur des cellules vivantes et en cours de croissance Q Hays, M Ropitaux, A Baron, L Fourmois, I Boulogne, B Vauzeilles, ... 13èmes journées du Réseau Français des Parois , 2022 2022
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
A lipid transfer–like protein is necessary for lily pollen tube adhesion to an in vitro stylar matrix SY Park, GY Jauh, JC Mollet, KJ Eckard, EA Nothnagel, LL Walling, ... The Plant Cell 12 (1), 151-163 , 2000 2000 Citations: 303
Chemocyanin, a small basic protein from the lily stigma, induces pollen tube chemotropism S Kim, JC Mollet, J Dong, K Zhang, SY Park, EM Lord Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 100 (26), 16125-16130 , 2003 2003 Citations: 292
A lily stylar pectin is necessary for pollen tube adhesion to an in vitro stylar matrix JC Mollet, SY Park, EA Nothnagel, EM Lord The Plant Cell 12 (9), 1737-1749 , 2000 2000 Citations: 224
Cell wall composition, biosynthesis and remodeling during pollen tube growth JC Mollet, C Leroux, F Dardelle, A Lehner Plants 2 (1), 107-147 , 2013 2013 Citations: 169
Biochemical and immunocytological characterizations of Arabidopsis pollen tube cell wall F Dardelle, A Lehner, Y Ramdani, M Bardor, P Lerouge, A Driouich, ... Plant Physiology 153 (4), 1563-1576 , 2010 2010 Citations: 167
Arabinogalactan proteins in root and pollen-tube cells: distribution and functional aspects E Nguema-Ona, S Coimbra, M Vicré-Gibouin, JC Mollet, A Driouich Annals of Botany 110 (2), 383-404 , 2012 2012 Citations: 151
PECTIN METHYLESTERASE48 is involved in Arabidopsis pollen grain germination C Leroux, S Bouton, MC Kiefer-Meyer, TN Fabrice, A Mareck, S Guénin, ... Plant physiology 167 (2), 367-380 , 2015 2015 Citations: 145
Yield, chemical composition and gel strength of agarocolloids of Gracilaria gracilis, Gracilariopsis longissima and the newly reported Gracilaria cf. vermiculophylla from … JC Mollet, A Rahaoui, Y Lemoine Journal of Applied Phycology 10 (1), 59-66 , 1998 1998 Citations: 118
Arabinogalactan proteins, pollen tube growth, and the reversible effects of Yariv phenylglycoside JC Mollet, S Kim, GY Jauh, EM Lord Protoplasma 219 (1), 89-98 , 2002 2002 Citations: 115
The cell wall pectic polymer rhamnogalacturonan-II is required for proper pollen tube elongation: implications of a putative sialyltransferase-like protein M Dumont, A Lehner, S Bouton, MC Kiefer-Meyer, A Voxeur, J Pelloux, ... Annals of botany 114 (6), 1177-1188 , 2014 2014 Citations: 83
Two tomato GDP-D-mannose epimerase isoforms involved in ascorbate biosynthesis play specific roles in cell wall biosynthesis and development L Mounet-Gilbert, M Dumont, C Ferrand, C Bournonville, A Monier, J Jorly, ... Journal of Experimental Botany 67 (15), 4767-4777 , 2016 2016 Citations: 81
UUAT1 is a Golgi-localized UDP-uronic acid transporter that modulates the polysaccharide composition of Arabidopsis seed mucilage S Saez-Aguayo, C Rautengarten, H Temple, D Sanhueza, ... The Plant Cell 29 (1), 129-143 , 2017 2017 Citations: 80
Plant cell wall imaging by metabolic click‐mediated labelling of rhamnogalacturonan II using azido 3‐deoxy‐ d ‐ manno ‐oct‐2‐ulosonic acid M Dumont, A Lehner, B Vauzeilles, J Malassis, A Marchant, K Smyth, ... The Plant Journal 85 (3), 437-447 , 2016 2016 Citations: 80
Direct structural identification of polysaccharides from red algae by FTIR microspectrometry I: Localization of agar in Gracilaria verrucosa sections M Sekkal, JP Huvenne, P Legrand, B Sombret, JC Mollet, ... Microchimica Acta 112 (1), 1-10 , 1993 1993 Citations: 80
Extracellular matrix assembly in diatoms (Bacillariophyceae)(II. 2, 6-Dichlorobenzonitrile inhibition of motility and stalk production in the marine diatom Achnanthes longipes) Y Wang, J Lu, JC Mollet, MR Gretz, KD Hoagland Plant physiology 113 (4), 1071-1080 , 1997 1997 Citations: 79
TBL10 is required for O ‐acetylation of pectic rhamnogalacturonan‐I in Arabidopsis thaliana M Stranne, Y Ren, L Fimognari, D Birdseye, J Yan, M Bardor, JC Mollet, ... The Plant Journal 96 (4), 772-785 , 2018 2018 Citations: 71
Evolution of cell wall polymers in tip-growing land plant gametophytes: composition, distribution, functional aspects and their remodeling J Dehors, A Mareck, MC Kiefer-Meyer, L Menu-Bouaouiche, A Lehner, ... Frontiers in Plant Science 10, 441 , 2019 2019 Citations: 66
Effect of water deficit on the cell wall of the date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera ‘Deglet nour’, Arecales) fruit during development A Gribaa, F Dardelle, A Lehner, C Rihouey, C Burel, A Ferchichi, ... Plant, Cell & Environment 36 (5), 1056-1070 , 2013 2013 Citations: 64
Combined Experimental and computational approaches reveal distinct pH-dependence of pectin methyl esterase inhibitors L Hocq, F Sénéchal, V Lefebvre, JM Domon, JC Mollet, J Dehors, ... Plant Physiology 173, 1075-1093 , 2017 2017 Citations: 61
Salicylic acid regulates pollen tip growth through an NPR3/NPR4-independent pathway D Rong, N Luo, JC Mollet, X Liu, Z Yang Molecular plant 9 (11), 1478-1491 , 2016 2016 Citations: 58