Cellulose is a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of b (1!4) linked D-glucose and it is the most abundant polymer on earth. As a major structural component of the cell wall, cellulose accounts for about one-third of plant mass. The regulation of cellulose biosynthesis is essential to plant development. Cellulose is synthesised by the cellulose synthase (CESA) complex in the plasma memb...

Cellulose is a cell wall constituent that is essential for plant growth and development, and an important raw material for a range of industrial applications. Cellulose is synthesized at the plasma membrane by massive cellulose synthase (CesA) complexes that track along cortical microtubules in elongating cells of Arabidopsis through the activity of the protein CELLULOSE SYNTHASE INTERACTING1 (...

The present study explores the mechanism of cellulose biosynthesis in Gluconoacetobacter hansenii. The cellulose synthase enzyme was purified as membrane fraction and solubilized by treatment with 0.1% digitonin. The enzyme was separated by native-gel electrophoresis and β -D-glucan analysis was carried out using in vitro gel assay. The cellulose synthase has glycoprotein nature and composed tw...

A central question in plant cell development is how the cell wall determines directional cell expansion and therefore the final shape of the cell. As the major load-bearing component of the cell wall, cellulose microfibrils are laid down transversely to the axis of elongation, thus forming a spring-like structure that reinforces the cell laterally and while favoring longitudinal expansion in mo...

Live cell imaging has greatly advanced our knowledge on the molecular mechanism by which cellulose is deposited. Both the actin and microtubule cytoskeleton are involved in assuring the proper distribution, organization, and dynamics of cellulose synthase complexes (CSCs). This review is an update on the most recent progress on the characterization of the composition, regulation, and traffickin...

The horizontal transfer of genes between distantly related organisms is undoubtedly a major factor in the evolution of novel traits. Because genes are functionless without expression, horizontally transferred genes must acquire appropriate transcriptional regulations in their recipient organisms, although the evolutionary mechanism is not known well. The defining characteristic of tunicates is ...

Cellulose synthesis in the developing xylem vessels of Arabidopsis requires three members of the cellulose synthase (CesA) gene family. In young vessels, these three proteins localize within the cell, whereas in older vessels, all three CesA proteins colocalize with bands of cortical microtubules that mark the sites of secondary cell wall deposition. In the absence of one subunit, however, the ...

Acanthamoeba cysts are resistant to unfavorable physiological conditions and various disinfectants. Acanthamoeba cysts have 2 walls containing various sugar moieties, and in particular, one third of the inner wall is composed of cellulose. In this study, it has been shown that down-regulation of cellulose synthase by small interfering RNA (siRNA) significantly inhibits the formation of mature A...

Wood from forest trees modified for more cellulose or hemicelluloses could be a major feedstock for fuel ethanol. Xylan and glucomannan are the two major hemicelluloses in wood of angiosperms. However, little is known about the genes and gene products involved in the synthesis of these wood polysaccharides. Using Populus trichocarpa as a model angiosperm tree, we report here a systematic analys...

.-, Aims To outline the current state of knowledge and discuss the evolution of various viewpoints put forth to explain the mechanism of cellu lose biosynt·hesis. (. Scope Lnderstanding the mechanism of cellulose biosynthesis is one of the major challenges in plant biology. The simplicity in the chemical structure of cellulose belies the complexities that are associated with the synthesis and a...