Osmoregulation and plant cell wall mechanics

In this ongoing collaboration between Professor C R Thomas of the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham, the mechanical properties of isolated plant cells are being studied. The project combines techniques and expertise in cell wall mechanics and water relations. The two main techniques are micromanipulation developed originally for measuring the mechanical properties of animal cells , and pressure probe techniques for measuring the water relations of plant cells . Recently, the former method has been developed so that it can be used with single plant cells. This very novel method is the basis of research (begun last year) on the principles of plant cell mechanics, in collaboration with the John Innes Centre, and Unilever Research.

wpe1.jpg (16423 bytes) The pressure probe is being used to study variation in V, Lp, P, ei throughout suspension cultures and following changes in the suspension medium. The bursting forces are measured during the squeezing process while simultaneously measuring P. The objective is to characterise cell elasticity using the pressure probe, and Youngs modulus calculated from cell wall models using SEM estimates of cell wall thickness. A cell wall mechanical model will be constructed, which will eventually allow the ability of single plant cells to regulate P to be linked to behaviour of such cells in processing.

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