Plant and algal structure: from cell walls to biomechanical function

Shtein, Ilana; Bar‐On, Benny; Popper, Zoë A.

doi:10.1111/ppl.12727

Cited by 20 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 84 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Plant cell walls are complex materials, comprised of load bearing cellulose microfibrils, embedded in a soft matrix of pectins, hemicelluloses, and various glycoproteins [16]. Cell wall composition changes in response to different developmental, environmental, and spatial contexts [17]. Each cell wall component group is complex and many undergo further modification.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solanales Stem Biomechanical Properties Are Primarily Determined by Morphology Rather Than Internal Structural Anatomy and Cell Wall Composition

Shtein¹,

Koyfman

Schwartz

et al. 2020

Plants

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Self-supporting plants and climbers exhibit differences in their structural and biomechanical properties. We hypothesized that such fundamental differences originate at the level of the material properties. In this study, we compared three non-woody members of the Solanales exhibiting different growth habits: (1) a self-supporting plant (potato, Solanum tuberosum), (2) a trailing plant (sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas), and (3) a twining climber (morning glory, Ipomoea tricolor). The mechanical properties investigated by materials analyses were combined with structural, biochemical, and immunohistochemical analyses. Generally, the plants exhibited large morphological differences, but possessed relatively similar anatomy and cell wall composition. The cell walls were primarily composed of hemicelluloses (~60%), with α-cellulose and pectins constituting ~25% and 5–8%, respectively. Immunohistochemistry of specific cell wall components suggested only minor variation in the occurrence and localization between the species, although some differences in hemicellulose distribution were observed. According to tensile and flexural tests, potato stems were the stiffest by a significant amount and the morning glory stems were the most compliant and showed differences in two- and three-orders of magnitude; the differences between their effective Young’s (Elastic) modulus values (geometry-independent parameter), on the other hand, were substantially lower (at the same order of magnitude) and sometimes not even significantly different. Therefore, although variability exists in the internal anatomy and cell wall composition between the different species, the largest differences were seen in the morphology, which appears to be the primary determinant of biomechanical function. Although this does not exclude the possibility of different mechanisms in other plant groups, there is apparently less constraint to modifying stem morphology than anatomy and cell wall composition within the Solanales.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solanales Stem Biomechanical Properties Are Primarily Determined by Morphology Rather Than Internal Structural Anatomy and Cell Wall Composition

Shtein¹,

Koyfman

Schwartz

et al. 2020

Plants

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The effective dynamic (viscoelastic) modulus of these interfacial regions provides the biocomposites’ diverse mechanical functions, including adsorbing impacts, detaining cracks, and filtering mechanical signals [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. Identifying the interfacial dynamic modulus of biocomposites is a long-standing objective of biomaterial science research [ 18 ], it is considered the keystone toward understanding the fundamental structure–function relationships in various biocomposite systems [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Interfacial Dynamic Modulus of Biological Composites

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Biological composites (biocomposites) possess ultra-thin, irregular-shaped, energy dissipating interfacial regions that grant them crucial mechanical capabilities. Identifying the dynamic (viscoelastic) modulus of these interfacial regions is considered to be the key toward understanding the underlying structure–function relationships in various load-bearing biological materials including mollusk shells, arthropod cuticles, and plant parts. However, due to the submicron dimensions and the confined locations of these interfacial regions within the biocomposite, assessing their mechanical characteristics directly with experiments is nearly impossible. Here, we employ composite-mechanics modeling, analytical formulations, and numerical simulations to establish a theoretical framework that links the interfacial dynamic modulus of a biocomposite to the extrinsic characteristics of a larger-scale biocomposite segment. Accordingly, we introduce a methodology that enables back-calculating (via simple linear scaling) of the interfacial dynamic modulus of biocomposites from their far-field dynamic mechanical analysis. We demonstrate its usage on zigzag-shaped interfaces that are abundant in biocomposites. Our theoretical framework and methodological approach are applicable to the vast range of biocomposites in natural materials; its essence can be directly employed or generally adapted into analogous composite systems, such as architected nanocomposites, biomedical composites, and bioinspired materials.

show abstract

“…Of the many organisms studied, plants are particularly interesting because of the wide range of functions and structures produced from a limited set of constituent materials, i.e. cell wall components 4,5 . Juxtapositions of different tissues and/or cell wall structures and compositions can drive organ movements in response to water or humidity.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Nano-indentation reveals a potential role for gradients of cell wall stiffness in directional movement of the resurrection plant Selaginella lepidophylla

Asgari

Brulé

Western

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Stiffness, defined as the ability of a material to resist deformation in response to an applied stress, determines the direction and extent of conformational changes undertaken by a material and hence is a critical mechanical property governing actuation response. The stiffer a material is, the less it deforms under a mechanical load. By layering or otherwise locally joining materials with dissimilar stiffness in a composite material, it is possible to control the global deformation in a specific direction 14,15. Stiffness profiles leading to deformation in S. lepidophylla have been studied at the organ and tissue level 10,11. Here, we present a complementary nanoscale investigation that sheds light on previously unexplored factors controlling the stiffness of S. lepidophylla in static and time-varying loads. The specific focus is on the elastic moduli of cortical cell walls, and the aim is to understand their contribution to the observed direction and degree of curling of inner stems. We take advantage of atomic force microscopy (AFM), a technique frequently used to study plant cell wall mechanics 16-18. In particular, we use AFM indentation to locally measure the nanoscale elastic properties of cell walls, as well as to assess the level of inhomogeneity and stiffness gradients of the tissue across representative transverse sections of the plant, both longitudinally (stem tip to base) and between adaxial and abaxial stem sides. We also preliminarily investigate the viscoelastic behaviour at given loading rates. Materials and Methods Plant materials. Mature S. lepidophylla plants were purchased from Canadian Air Plants (New Brunswick, Canada), and maintained in a desiccated state at 25 °C and ~30-50% relative humidity until use. Prior to experimentation, S. lepidophylla plants were placed in a plate of water and allowed to rehydrate for three consecutive days to achieve 100% relative water content. Time-lapse video capture. Video capture was adapted from the protocol in Rafsanjani et al. 10. Time-lapse videos were captured using a Logitech C920 HD Pro Webcam (1080p, Carl Zeiss optics) and Video Velocity Time-Lapse Studio software (Candylabs). S. lepidophylla plants were allowed to rehydrate for 24 hours. Individual inner stems were cut from the plant at the root-stem interface and secured in a metal clamp, which was affixed to the base of a square Petri dish. Stems were then allowed to air-dry for approximately 6 hours, during which time changes in their curvature were captured via time-lapse filming at frame rate of 1 min 21 s. Stems were taken from four different S. lepidophylla plants. In total, four inner stems were tested and displayed similar curling/uncurling patterns.

show abstract

Plant and algal structure: from cell walls to biomechanical function

Cited by 20 publications

References 84 publications

Solanales Stem Biomechanical Properties Are Primarily Determined by Morphology Rather Than Internal Structural Anatomy and Cell Wall Composition

Solanales Stem Biomechanical Properties Are Primarily Determined by Morphology Rather Than Internal Structural Anatomy and Cell Wall Composition

Assessing the Interfacial Dynamic Modulus of Biological Composites

Nano-indentation reveals a potential role for gradients of cell wall stiffness in directional movement of the resurrection plant Selaginella lepidophylla

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About