Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026
06:12
Detached Maize Sheaths for Live-Cell Imaging of Infection by Fungal Foliar Maize Pathogens
Published on: September 15, 2023
Cell wall composition as a maize defense mechanism against corn borers
Jaime Barros-Rios1, Rosa A Malvar, Hans-Joachim G Jung
1Misión Biológica de Galicia (CSIC), Apartado 28, E-36080 Pontevedra, Spain. jbarros@mbg.cesga.es
Phytochemistry
|February 2, 2011
Summary
Maize cell walls in resistant inbred lines show higher concentrations of total cell wall material, xylose, and diferulates. These components may act as natural barriers against European and Mediterranean corn borers.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Entomology
- Plant Biology
Background:
- European and Mediterranean corn borers are significant pests of maize (Zea mays L.).
- Understanding plant resistance mechanisms is crucial for developing sustainable pest management strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cell wall structure and composition in maize inbred lines resistant and susceptible to corn borers.
- To identify specific cell wall components contributing to corn borer resistance.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated cell wall polysaccharides, lignin, and hydroxycinnamic acids in pith and rind tissues.
- Compared compositional data between resistant and susceptible maize inbred lines.
Main Results:
- Resistant inbred lines exhibited higher concentrations of total cell wall material, xylose, and 8-O-4-coupled diferulates in pith tissues.
- Stem tunneling by corn borers was negatively correlated with total diferulates, 8-5-diferulate, and p-coumarate esters.
Conclusions:
- Increased cell wall thickness and specific compounds like xylose and diferulates are potential mechanisms for corn borer resistance in maize.
- These findings can inform breeding programs for developing insect-resistant maize varieties.
More Related Videos
10:26Elucidating β-1,3-Glucanase and Peroxidase Physicochemical Properties of Wheat Cell Wall Defense Mechanism Against Diuraphis noxia Infestation
Published on: July 26, 2024
09:37Preparation of Fungal and Plant Materials for Structural Elucidation Using Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Solid-State NMR
Published on: February 12, 2019
Related Concept Videos
01:07Plant Cell Wall
Plant cells have a cell wall, a rigid outer covering that protects the cell and provides shape and support. During cell division, a mixture of enzymes, proteins, and glucose molecules is transported via vesicles to the center of the cell. These vesicles continuously fuse and build a cell plate between the dividing cells. As the cell plate matures, new polysaccharides are added to it to form the cell walls of the daughter cells. The predominant polysaccharide in the cell wall is cellulose, made...
02:43Plant Cell Wall
The plant cell wall gives plant cells shape, support, and protection. As a cell matures, its cell wall specializes according to the cell type. For example, the parenchyma cells of leaves possess only a thin, primary cell wall.Collenchyma and sclerenchyma cells, on the other hand, mainly occur in the outer layers of a plant's stems and leaves. These cells provide the plant with strength and support by either partially thickening their primary cell wall (i.e., collenchyma), or depositing a...
01:15Cellulose and Pectic Polysaccharides
Every plant cell has a cell wall that protects the cell, provides structural support, and gives the cell shape. Cellulose, the main structural component of the plant cell wall, makes up over 30% of plant matter. It is the most abundant organic compound on earth. Cellulose is an unbranched polysaccharide composed of linear chains of glucose molecules linked by β (1→4) glycosidic bonds.
As a cell matures, its cell wall specializes according to its type. For example, the parenchyma cells of...
As a cell matures, its cell wall specializes according to its type. For example, the parenchyma cells of...
01:02Role of Microtubules in Cell Wall Deposition
Microtubules are small hollow tubes in eukaryotic cells. The cell wall microtubules are polymerized dimers of two globular proteins, α-tubulin and β-tubulin, two globular proteins. With a diameter of about 25 nm, microtubules are the widest components of the cytoskeleton. They help the cell resist compression and provide a track along which vesicles move through the cell or pull replicated chromosomes to opposite ends of a dividing cell. Microtubules go through quick cycles of disassembly and...
01:14Cell Adhesion in Plants
Plants have rigid cell walls that are made up of cell wall polysaccharides that mediate cell-cell adhesion. The primary cell walls of plants consist of two independent and interacting polysaccharide networks: a pectin matrix that embeds the second network comprising cellulose and hemicelluloses.
Pectins are complex heteropolymers mainly composed of negatively-charged α-D-glucopyranosyl uronic acid and some neutral glycosyl residues such as α-L-rhamnopyranose, α-L-arabinofuranose, and...
Pectins are complex heteropolymers mainly composed of negatively-charged α-D-glucopyranosyl uronic acid and some neutral glycosyl residues such as α-L-rhamnopyranose, α-L-arabinofuranose, and...
01:22Bacterial Cell Wall
The bacterial cell wall is an essential structural component that encases the plasma membrane, preserving cellular integrity, determining shape, and protecting against osmotic stress. This rigid yet flexible structure primarily comprises peptidoglycan, a polymer that forms a mesh-like matrix conferring mechanical strength and flexibility.Peptidoglycan Composition and StructurePeptidoglycan, the core of the bacterial cell wall, comprises alternating units of N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) and...