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Structure and growth of plant cell walls

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 25, pages 340–358 (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

Plant cells build nanofibrillar walls that are central to plant growth, morphogenesis and mechanics. Starting from simple sugars, three groups of polysaccharides, namely, cellulose, hemicelluloses and pectins, with very different physical properties are assembled by the cell to make a strong yet extensible wall. This Review describes the physics of wall growth and its regulation by cellular processes such as cellulose production by cellulose synthase, modulation of wall pH by plasma membrane H+-ATPase, wall loosening by expansin and signalling by plant hormones such as auxin and brassinosteroid. In addition, this Review discusses the nuanced roles, properties and interactions of cellulose, matrix polysaccharides and cell wall proteins and describes how wall stress and wall loosening cooperatively result in cell wall growth.

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Fig. 1: Spatial patterns of cell wall growth.
Fig. 2: Conceptual framework for wall growth.
Fig. 3: Dominant polysaccharides of the growing cell wall.
Fig. 4: Molecular architecture of the primary cell wall.
Fig. 5: Cellular processes supporting wall growth.
Fig. 6: How wall stresses function in wall growth.
Fig. 7: Examples of hormonal regulation of cell wall growth.

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Acknowledgements

Work on wall loosening and expansins was supported by the US Department of Energy (grant no. DE-FG2-84ER13179). Work on wall mechanics was supported by the Human Frontier Science Program for a collaborative research grant RGP0005/2022, and work on wall structure was supported as part of The Center for Lignocellulose Structure and Formation, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences under award no. DE-SC0001090.

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    Daniel J. Cosgrove

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Glossary

Cell plate

The soft wall-like layer initially separating two daughter cells during cell division. With subsequent stabilization by the deposition of additional wall materials, it becomes the pectin-rich adhesive zone, called the middle lamella, between two cell walls.

Elasticity

A measure of the ability of a structure to return to its original shape after being mechanically deformed.

Pericycle

A cylindrical layer of cells located just inside the endodermis. Lateral roots are initiated in the pericycle.

Plasticity

A measure of the extent of irreversible deformation of a material that is stretched or compressed by mechanical force.

Shear stress

The component of stress that is coplanar with a material, resulting in deformation in which parallel surfaces slide past each other.

Supramolecular chemistry

Refers to higher-order molecular assemblies that rely on extensive noncovalent interactions between components to form a coherent structure.

Yield threshold

The minimum force or stress required for a material to begin to deform irreversibly.

Young’s modulus of elasticity

A measure of the stiffness of a material, normalized by cross-sectional area.

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Cosgrove, D.J. Structure and growth of plant cell walls. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 25, 340–358 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41580-023-00691-y

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