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Composition of plant cell walls
A Heredia1, A Jiménez, R Guillén
1Departamento de Biotecnología de Alimentos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Sevilla, Spain.
Zeitschrift Fur Lebensmittel-Untersuchung Und -Forschung
|January 1, 1995
Summary
This review details plant cell wall composition, focusing on polysaccharides like cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectins. It explores their structures and interactions within the cell wall matrix.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Botany
Background:
- Plant cell walls are complex structures essential for plant growth and development.
- Recent research has significantly advanced our understanding of cell wall composition since the 1980s.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent research on plant cell wall composition.
- To describe the polysaccharides and other components of plant cell walls.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies published from approximately the 1980s to the present.
- Analysis of research on the microfibrillar and amorphous phases of plant cell walls.
Main Results:
- Detailed description of cellulose as a linear homopolymer forming microfibrils.
- Overview of hemicelluloses, including xylans and mannans, and their linkages.
- Characterization of pectic substances, such as rhamnogalacturonan I and II, as complex colloidal polysaccharides.
Conclusions:
- Plant cell walls are primarily composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectic substances.
- These polysaccharides exhibit diverse structures and intricate interlinkages.
- Understanding cell wall composition is crucial for plant science research.