Isolation of developing secondary xylem specific cellulose synthase genes and their expression profiles during hormone signalling in Eucalyptus tereticornis.

Cellulose synthases (CesA) represent a group of β-1, 4 glycosyl transferases involved in cellulose biosynthesis. Recent reports in higher plants have revealed that two groups of CesA gene families exist, which are associated with either primary or secondary cell wall deposition. The present study aimed at identifying developing secondary xylem specific cellulose synthase genes from Eucalyptus tereticornis, a species predominantly used in paper and pulp industries in the tropics. The differential expression analysis of the three EtCesA genes using qRT-PCR revealed 49 to 87 fold relative expression in developing secondary xylem tissues. Three full length gene sequences of EtCesA1, EtCesA2 and EtCesA3 were isolated with the size of 2940, 3114 and 3123 bp, respectively. Phytohormone regulation of all three EtCesA genes were studied by exogenous application of gibberellic acid, naphthalene acetic acid, indole acetic acid and 2, 4-epibrassinolide in internode tissues derived from three-month-old rooted cuttings. All three EtCesA transcripts were upregulated by indole acetic acid and gibberellic acid. This study demonstrates that the increased cellulose deposition in the secondary wood induced by hormones can be attributed to the upregulation of xylem specific CesAs.