Tag: Cell Walls

Compared to their aquatic relatives, early land plants faced many challenges, such as a lack of buoyancy, harmful UV light, the challenge of nutrient uptake, and the need to avoid desiccation. In a fascinating review (part of the Plant Physiology focus collection on early land plant evolution), Domozych…

Clearly, the mechanical properties of plant cell walls have important implications for growth and development, but they are not necessarily easy to measure, especially in intact, living tissues. Here, Alonso-Baez et al. used Brillouin microscopy and molecular rotors to characterize cell wall properties…

Root angle is the direction and spatial orientation of roots in relation to gravity, which aids nutrient uptake and anchorage. Root angle is shaped by gravity perception, asymmetric auxin distribution, and differential growth across root zones. While auxin response factors (ARFs) are known to regulate…

Drought is a major constraint on maize production, and understanding the underlying molecular regulators is key to breeding resilient varieties. Yang et al. investigated the role of the wall-associated kinase ZmWAK3 in maize seedlings and found it to be a negative regulator of drought tolerance. Loss-of-function…

Light is a powerful signal, shaping plant development and growth. However, the cellular mechanisms that translate light signals into precise developmental responses are still being unravelled. The Arabidopsis hypocotyl (the embryonic stem, situated underneath the cotyledons in seedlings) rapidly restricts…

This article poses the interesting question of whether we can use our knowledge of plant cell wall-modifying, carbohydrate-active enzymes to produce biobased materials. Specifically, the authors point out that much of the hemicellulose contained in agricultural and wood fiber could provide a starting…

Ferns are important and diverse land plants but are also known for their exceptionally large genomes. A new study by Ali et al. presents an extensive analysis of fern genomics through RNA-sequencing of 22 representative fern species. The study identified 18 whole-genome duplications across different…

Recently, we have gained tremendous insights through live-cell imaging using fluorescent tags that bind specifically to various cellular components. Here, Besten et al. present a new set of cell wall-specific tags that bind specifically to cell walls and reveal selected wall properties. The authors developed…