Brachypodium distachyon (Brachypodium) is now well considered as being a suitable plant model for studying temperate cereal crops. Its cell walls are phylogenetically intermediate between rice and poaceae, with a greater proximity to these latter. By microscopic and biochemical approaches, this work gives an overview of the temporal and spatial distribution of cell wall polysaccharides in the grain of Brachypodium from the end of the cellularization step to the maturation of grain. Variation in arabinoxylan chemical structure and distribution were demonstrated according to development and different grain tissues. In particular, the kinetic of arabinoxylan feruloylation was shown occuring later in the aleurone layers compared to storage endosperm. Mixed linked β-glucan was detected in whole the tissues of Brachypodium grain even at late stage of development. Cellulose was found in both the storage endosperm and the outer layers. Homogalacturonan and rhamnogalacturonan I epitopes were differentially distributed within the grain tissues. LM5 galactan epitope was restricted to the aleurone layers contrary to LM6 arabinan epitope which was detected in the whole endosperm. A massive deposition of highly methylated homogalacturonans in vesicular bodies was observed underneath the cell wall of the testa t2 layer at early stage of development. At maturity, low-methylated homogalacturonans totally fulfilled the lumen of the t2 cell layer, suggesting pectin remodeling during grain development. Xyloglucans were only detected in the cuticle above the testa early in the development of the grain while feruloylated arabinoxylans were preferentially deposited into the cell wall of t1 layer. Indeed, the circumscribed distribution of some of the cell wall polysaccharides raises questions about their role in grain development and physiology.
Keywords: Brachypodium distachyon; Cell wall; Grain development; Polysaccharides.
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