Remodeling the plant cell wall from the inside out
May 2023
- Datum: 17.05.2023
- Uhrzeit: 14:00 - 15:30
- Vortragende(r): Heather E. McFarlane
- PLANT CELL BIOLOGY, DEPARTMENT OF CELL AND SYSTEMS BIOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
- Ort: Central Building
- Raum: Seminar Room
- Gastgeber: Arun Sampathkumar
Abstract:
The plant
cell wall is a polysaccharide-based extracellular matrix that surrounds
and protects all plant cells. Since plants are constantly growing and
developing within the confines of their cell walls, plant cells must be in
constant communication with their cell walls.
Furthermore, cell walls are a critical line of defense between plant cells and
their environment; changes to the cell wall are often early warning signs
of pathogen attack or abiotic stress, and plants fortify their cell walls
in response to these stresses. This ongoing communication between the
plant cells and their cell walls is collectively called “cell wall signaling”.
The McFarlane Lab at The University of Toronto studies the molecular mechanisms
of cell wall signaling and responses, including cell wall secretion and
remodeling. We have rece ntly characterized two different pathways that
affect cell wall matrix polysaccharide synthesis at the Golgi
apparatus. Interestingly, these cell wall synthesis defects result in
changes to Golgi structure and function including inappropriate cell wall
synthesis, secretion, and/or remodelling. These cellular phenotypes
ultimately result in defects in coordinated cell growth and loss of tissue
integrity, resulting in dramatic consequences for plant growth and
development.