Research report 2010 - Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology

Two skeleton meet: the plant cell wall and the cytoskeleton

Authors
Persson, Staffan; Sampathkumar, Arun; Bringmann, Martin
Departments
Unabhängige Nachwuchsgruppe (Persson)
Max-Planck-Institut für molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Potsdam
Summary
All plant cells are surrounded by a carbohydrate-rich matrix, referred to as cell walls, which protect the plant against the environment and provide structural support. Cellulose is a key component of the wall and for human activities, including textile and paper industries. Cellulose is made at the cell surface by heteromeric protein complexes that are directed by the cells internal skeleton, the cytoskeleton. We have deduced the dynamic behavior of the cytoskeletal components in plants, and discovered a potential linking factor between the cellulose synthesizing complex and the cytoskeleton.

For the full text, see the German version.

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