Dynamic Construction, Perception, and Remodeling of Plant Cell Walls
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA,
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA,
Plant cell walls are dynamic structures that are synthesized by plants to provide durable coverings for the delicate cells they encase. They are made of polysaccharides, proteins, and other biomolecules and have evolved to withstand large amounts of physical force and to resist external attack by herbivores and pathogens but can in many cases expand, contract, and undergo controlled degradation and reconstruction to facilitate developmental transitions and regulate plant physiology and reproduction. Recent advances in genetics, microscopy, biochemistry, structural biology, and physical characterization methods have revealed a diverse set of mechanisms by which plant cells dynamically monitor and regulate the composition and architecture of their cell walls, but much remains to be discovered about how the nanoscale assembly of these remarkable structures underpins the majestic forms and vital ecological functions achieved by plants.
- Research Organization:
- Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Lignocellulose Structure and Formation (CLSF); Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- DOE Contract Number:
- SC0001090
- OSTI ID:
- 1767771
- Journal Information:
- Annual Review of Plant Biology, Vol. 71, Issue 1; ISSN 1543-5008
- Publisher:
- Annual Reviews
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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