Cellulose synthesis in land plants

All plant cells are surrounded by a cell wall that provides cohesion, protection, and a means of directional growth to plants. Cellulose microfibrils contribute the main biomechanical scaffold for most of these walls. The biosynthesis of cellulose, which typically is the most prominent constituent of the cell wall and there-fore Earth's most abundant biopolymer, is finely attuned to developmental and environmental cues. Our un-derstanding of the machinery that catalyzes and regulates cellulose biosynthesis has substantially improved due to recent technological advances in, for example, structural biology and microscopy. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the structure, function, and regulation of the cellulose syn-thesis machinery and its regulatory interactors. We aim to highlight important knowledge gaps in the field, and outline emerging approaches that promise a means to close those gaps.

Automated summary

All plant cells have cell walls that provide cohesion, protection, and directional growth to plants. Cellulose microfibrils are the main biomechanical scaffold in these walls. Recent technological advances have greatly improved our understanding of the machinery and regulation of cellulose biosynthesis. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the structure, function, and regulation of cellulose synthesis machinery, highlights knowledge gaps, and outlines emerging approaches to fill those gaps.