28. Jan. 2021
Plants, especially trees, are by far the tallest organisms on Earth. Height growth is made possible by a specialized vascular system that conducts water from the roots to the leaves with high efficiency, while simultaneously providing stability. The so-called xylem, also known as wood, is a network of hollow cells with extremely strong cell walls that reinforce the cells against the mechanical conflicts arising from growing tall. These walls wrap around the cells in filigree band and spiral patterns. So far, it is only partly known, how these patterns are created. Dr. René Schneider from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology, Dr. Kris van't Klooster from Wageningen University and their colleagues study the formation of such reinforced and patterned cell walls. Their results have been published in Nature Communication.
