Le macchine molecolari deputate alla costruzione e modificazione delle pareti delle cellule vegetali

The cell wall is one of the functional elements of the plant cell, where biosynthesis, assembly and remodeling are under genetic and environmental control. The main molecular machinery involved is cellulose synthase, that polymerizes sugars into cellulose and interacts with the cytoskeleton to guarantee growth and shape of the mature cell. Other enzymatic mechanisms are being elucidated, that explain how this fundamental cellular structure is built and modified. Research interest in this field is motivated by the importance of this structure both for the plant’s mechanical properties and as a source of raw materials such as cellulose and timber.