Cellular mechanisms for the export of specialized plant cell wall components

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All plant growth, including agricultural and forestry production, requires cell wall synthesis. Plant cells are wall-synthesizing factories, and plant growth and development depends on delivery of cell wall components at the appropriate location and rate. Despite its critical importance, there is a major gap in our understanding of cell wall biosynthesis: how are cell wall components that are made inside the cell exported to the outside of the cell to build a functional wall? While every cell in a plant is surrounded by a polysaccharide cell wall, there are also regions of the cell wall with specialized function. For example, the primary plant surface is coated with a lipidic cell wall layer called the cuticle that protects the plant from water loss, insects and pathogens. Another important type of specialized cell walls are lignified walls in vascular tissue, such as wood, where lignin makes the wall strong and waterproof.