The seminars take place on the Montpellier Institut Agro/INRAE Campus of La Gaillarde (2, place P. Viala Montpellier)
Thursday october 2, 2025 – 14h – amphi 208
Steven Moussu
Laboratoire de Recherche en Sciences Végétales (LRSV), Toulouse
The plant cell wall: dynamic macromolecular networks
How do plant cells grow while maintaining structural integrity? The plant cell wall is a dynamic matrix of carbohydrates and proteins, whose interactions govern both cell wall rigidity and plasticity. Among others, two key molecular networks—pectins and extensins— are thought to drive this architectural flexibility. Belonging to the extensin superfamily, Leucine-Rich Repeat Extensins (LRXs) are now established as critical actors of cell wall integrity. My earlier work focused on the interactions between the LRR domain of LRXs, RALF peptides, and pectins, and how they govern cell growth. However, the role of the LRX extensin domain remains obscure. To investigate their contribution to LRX functions, we use Arabidopsis root hair as a cellular model. We have now started the dissection of the biochemical interactions between LRXs extensin domains, pectins, and other extensins. In parallel, we are generating tools for functional genetics and cell biology to uncover the contribution of these molecular associations to cell wall dynamic properties during cell growth.