Plant cell wall architecture: the role of pectins

In order to elucidate the role of pectin in cell wall architecture, we have established a suite of techniques applicable at the single cell wall level, including the fast-freeze deep-etch rotary-shadowed replica technique, the use of immunogold probes for specific pectic epitopes, and Fourier Transform Infrared microspectroscopy. We have used these techniques on both isolated pectic polymers and pectins in situ within the cell wall in a wide variety of biological systems. Pectins are chemically heterogeneous, localised in particular cell-wall domains and developmentally-regulated. Screening for appropriate pectin and pectinase mutants using FTIR microspectroscopy offers a possible approach to determine the structural and regulatory functions of these molecules during plant growth and differentiation.