Understanding pectin cross-linking in plant cell walls.

ABSTRACT: Pectin is a major component of plant cells walls. The extent to which pectin chains crosslink with one another determines crucial properties including cell wall strength, porosity, and the ability of small, biologically significant molecules to access the cell. Despite its importance, significant gaps remain in our comprehension, at the molecular level, of how pectin cross-links influence the mechanical and physical properties of cell walls. This study employs a multidisciplinary approach, combining molecular dynamics simulations, experimental investigations, and mathematical modelling, to elucidate the mechanism of pectin cross-linking and its effect on cell wall porosity. The computational aspects of this work challenge the prevailing egg-box model, favoring instead a zipper model for pe

SUBMITTER: Obomighie I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11748717 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature