Dr. Steven MOUSSU, Laboratoire de Recherche en Sciences Végétales, Toulouse, France - Invité par H. Renault - Hosted by H. Renault
Abtract: How does the plant extracellular matrix drive and regulate cell elongation? Recent advances have uncovered the central role of the plant cell wall in governing cell growth. While expanding plant cell walls are rigid enough to withstand turgor pressure, their plasticity allows them to accommodate growth. Understanding these dual properties requires examining the composition and architecture of the cell wall during growth. The cell wall is composed of carbohydrates and proteins, whose dynamic intermolecular interactions are thought to govern cell wall properties. Within the protein fraction, structural glycoproteins known as extensins (EXTs) have been proposed to contribute to cell wall properties and ultimately cell elongation. These moderately arabinosylated proteins have the ability to form intermolecular covalent bonds, building an extensin network in muro. We aim to understand the mechanistic basis for extensins function during cell elongation. Using the growing Arabidopsis thaliana root hair as a cellular model, we are currently exploring classical EXTs and Leucine-Rich Repeat EXTs (LRXs) intermolecular networking properties and how these networks regulate cell elongation. We combine biochemical approaches, cell biology and genetics to unravel EXTs function during root hair elongation.
