Modulating PIs to increase cell wall deposition
The formation of plant cell walls is a complex biological process. A main component of plant cell walls is cellulose, besides other elements, such as hemicelluloses or pectin. Cellulose is formed by cellulose synthases. Cellulose synthases are protein complexes comprised of several subunits, which are embedded in the plasma membrane and deposit extracellular cellulose along intracellular cytoskeletal structures. As cellulose synthases are integral membrane proteins, their abundance in the plasma membrane is controlled by the respective rates of membrane insertion and membrane recycling. Main focus of this work is the control of key aspects of plant membrane trafficking by regulatory membrane lipids, with special emphasis on the effects on cell wall deposition.