Professor Yoselin Benitez-Alfonso - University of Leeds

Professor Yoselin Benitez-Alfonso

"Untangling plant cell walls and the control of intercellular transport"​

Abstract: A key property of all living systems is intercellular communication which coordinates growth in response to external cues. Communication in plants is restricted by rigid walls. Plasmodesmata evolved as a route for the symplastic (cytoplasm-to-cytoplasm) transport of small and large molecules including signalling proteins and RNAs, metabolites and hormones. These are small pores that appear in cell wall domains enriched in the β-1,3 glucan polysaccharide callose. We studied the mechano-physical properties of callose underpinning its function in the regulation of the plasmodesmata. Applying computer simulations and experimental approaches, the properties of callose in improving cellulose hygroscopicity and visco-elasticity were identified. We also developed molecular probes and identified proteins that modify callose accumulation in cell walls. These tools allowed us to uncover the structural properties of these cell walls microdomains that can be exploited in plant biotechnology and in biomaterial development. I will share how we build on this knowledge and explore its impact in understanding biological systems and tackling environmental sustainability challenges.