Revolutionary Times in Our Understanding of Cell Wall Biosynthesis and Remodeling in the Grasses

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Abstract
A major part of the daily caloric intake of human societies around the world is derived from a diverse range of foods prepared from members of the grass family, including wheat (Triticum aestivum), rice (Oryza sativa), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), the millets (Panicum miliaceum and Pennisetum americanum), barley (Hor- deum vulgare), and sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum). Grasses cover perhaps 20% or more of the earth's land surface (Gaut, 2002), and many of these are used as forage and fodder for the production of sheep, cattle, and other domesticated livestock. Maize (Zea mays )i s also used widely in animal feed diets, while sorghum, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), and several other perennial grasses are attracting considerable attention as future biomass energy crops (McLaren, 2005). The grasses are noteworthy for the unusual compo- sition of their cell walls, because walls of grasses have less pectin and xyloglucan, but more heteroxylan, than walls from other higher plants. Most significantly, walls of the grasses contain as major constituents the (1,3;1,4)-b-D-glucans, which are not widely distributed outside the Poaceae. The compositions of walls from selected barley organs are shown in Table I. In many cases, constituents of cell walls in the grasses are closely linked with their widespread adoption, utility, and future potential in agricultural practice and en- ergy production. The noncellulosic polysaccharides of walls in grasses are important components of dietary fiber, which is highly beneficial for lowering the risk of serious human health conditions, including colorectal cancer, high serum cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, obesity, and non-insulin-dependent diabetes (Braaten et al., 1994; Brennan and Cleary, 2005). Con- versely, the noncellulosic wall polysaccharides from walls of cereals and grasses have antinutritive effects in monogastric animals such as pigs and poultry (Brennan and Cleary, 2005) and are often considered to be undesirable components of raw materials in the