THE USE OF SMALL MOLECULES TO DISSECT CELL WALL BIOSYNTHESIS AND MANIPULATE THE CORTICAL CYTOSKELETON

Plant cell walls are composed of highly glycosylated proteins and polysaccharides, including pectin, hemicelluloses, and cellulose, which form a complex and dynamic extracellular matrix that modulates cell expansion. The primary cell wall polysaccharide is cellulose, and it stands as the most abundant biopolymer in the world. Although genetic screens have identified a handful of genes that participate in cellulose biosynthesis, the complexity of events contributing to activation of the CesA at the plasma membrane, its motility and interaction with other polymers and proteins suggest that the list of players is far from complete. This chapter examines the use of chemical genetics to dissect and extend our understanding of cellulose biosynthesis in plants.