RDP Seminar Ueli Grossniklaus

Cytomechanic Regulation of Pollen Tube Growth

RDP seminar by Ueli Grossniklaus from the University of Zurich.

Abstract :
It is becoming increasingly clear that not only biochemical properties shape the biological world but that physical constraints play a key role for the function of cells and tissues, influencing cell fate, pattern formation, and tissue homeostasis. In plants, the mechanical properties of cell walls and the forces exerted on them are key determinants of growth and morphogenesis. However, it is currently unknown how the biochemical composition of cell walls affects their mechanical properties. We use a systems biology approach, combining experimental and simulation techniques to extract such mechanical properties and derive quantitative models of cellular morphogenesis. Over the last years, we have been developing methods that allow the measurement of physical properties of cells, such as the flexibility of their cell walls, turgor pressure, and other biophysical properties that play crucial roles in cellular growth. Using pollen tubes as a model system, we investigated changes in mechanical properties and growth parameters of Arabidopsis mutants with an altered biochemical composition of the cell wall, affecting its major load-bearing components. Quantitative measurements and simulations allowed us to investigate the interplay between mechanical and biochemical properties of the cell wall.

Date : Monday, October 8th
Time : 11.30am
Location : Salle des Thèses

RDP host : Gwyneth Ingram / Thomas Widiez

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