The relationship between molecular organization and mechanical properties in the leaf cell wall with a focus on infection

植物细胞壁在机械抵抗膨胀、确定形态和作为抵御微生物攻击的屏障方面起着关键作用。然而，细胞壁的精确分子结构仍然知之甚少。我们最近表明，在不同细胞类型之间，以及在微生物攻击之后，单个细胞壁内的机械性能存在相当大的变化，这与化学成分的局部变化有关；但是化学和分子组织如何导致功能的细节仍然难以捉摸。该项目旨在利用和发展尖端的生物物理成像技术，特别是原子力显微镜（AFM）和超分辨率光学显微镜（SR），以前所未有的细节阐明细胞壁的分子组织。一旦获得这一新信息的基础，我们将利用它来探索葡聚糖聚合物胼胝质在真菌攻击后重塑和增强细胞壁中的作用，这可能在未来为新型抗真菌药物的开发提供信息。该项目将建立在AFM在细胞壁系统应用方面的国际领先发展，以及在使用SR光学显微镜跟踪细胞壁生长方面的发展。

The plant cell wall plays a critical role in mechanically resisting turgor, definingmorphology and as a barrier against microbial attack. However, the precisemolecular architecture of the cell wall is still poorly understood. We have recentlyshown that there is considerable variation in mechanical properties within thewalls of individual cells, between different cell types, and after microbial attack,linked to local variations in chemical composition; but the details of howchemistry and molecular organisation leads to function remain elusive. Thisproject aims to use and develop cutting edge biophysical imaging techniques, inparticular atomic force microscopy (AFM) and super-resolution (SR) opticalmicroscopy, to elucidate the molecular organization of the cell wall inunprecedented detail. Once this basis of new information has been obtained, wewill use it to explore the role played by the glucan-polymer callose in reshapingand reinforcing the cell wall following fungal attack, which in future may informthe development of novel anti-fungal agents. The project will build oninternationally leading developments in the application of AFM to cell wallsystems, and in the use of SR optical microscopy to follow cell wall growth inplants.