Advanced imaging-enabled understanding of cell wall remodeling mechanisms mediating plant drought stress tolerance
Drought stress causes peculiar challenges to plant cells reliant on turgor pressure and a polysaccharides-enriched cell wall for growth and development. Appropriate cell wall changes in mechanical properties and biochemical composition under stress conditions constitute an indispensable stress adapt...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1635078/full |
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| author | Nannan Zhao Zhiguo Zhou Shunli Cui Xinye Zhang Shu Zhu Ying Wang Tinashe Zenda Li Wenjing |
| author_facet | Nannan Zhao Zhiguo Zhou Shunli Cui Xinye Zhang Shu Zhu Ying Wang Tinashe Zenda Li Wenjing |
| author_sort | Nannan Zhao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Drought stress causes peculiar challenges to plant cells reliant on turgor pressure and a polysaccharides-enriched cell wall for growth and development. Appropriate cell wall changes in mechanical properties and biochemical composition under stress conditions constitute an indispensable stress adaptation strategy. A better understanding of stress-induced cell wall modifications is not only crucial for accruing fundamental scientific knowledge in plant biology, but will help us design novel strategies for enhancing crop drought tolerance. Here, we extensively reviewed how selected cell wall remodeling mechanisms, including cell wall demethylesterification, cell wall loosening and stiffening, stomata guard cell wall adjustment, cell wall lignification and root cell wall suberization orchestrate plant drought tolerance, revealing a potential target area for drought tolerance improvement in crops. Stress-induced demethylesterification of pectins, mediated by pectin methylesterases, permits calcium crosslinking of polyphenolics, which enhances cell wall rigidity and may help in intra-cell water preservation. Cell wall proteins such as xyloglucan endotransglucosylases/hydrolase, β-glucanases and expansins are regulated by drought stress, and orchestrate cell turgor-driven cell expansion, through modulating the loosening of cell wall polysaccharides, enabling cell and organ growth under those conditions. Meanwhile, overexpression of certain cell wall proteins/genes such as expansins may promote drought tolerance by improving cell water retention, antioxidant capacity, water use efficiency, and osmotic adjustment. We also discuss the genetic, transcriptional, and phytohormonal regulations of cell wall remodeling. Further, we highlight the recent advancements in elucidation of plant cell wall biosynthesis as aided by cutting-edge high-resolution imaging techniques that now facilitate direct visualization and quantitative in-situ (real-time) microanalysis of cell wall chemical composition and dynamics. Integrating latest cell wall imaging techniques to innovative single-cell omics, genome editing, and advanced data analysis approaches could facilitate appropriate cell wall modifications necessary for drought tolerance engineering in crop plants. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-90567e2e33f34c91b1a61ccec005d672 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-90567e2e33f34c91b1a61ccec005d6722025-08-20T02:55:09ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2025-08-011610.3389/fpls.2025.16350781635078Advanced imaging-enabled understanding of cell wall remodeling mechanisms mediating plant drought stress toleranceNannan Zhao0Zhiguo Zhou1Shunli Cui2Xinye Zhang3Shu Zhu4Ying Wang5Tinashe Zenda6Li Wenjing7College of Life Science, Langfang Normal University, Langfang, Hebei, ChinaCollege of Life Science, Langfang Normal University, Langfang, Hebei, ChinaState Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, ChinaCollege of Life Science, Langfang Normal University, Langfang, Hebei, ChinaCollege of Life Science, Langfang Normal University, Langfang, Hebei, ChinaCollege of Life Science, Langfang Normal University, Langfang, Hebei, ChinaDeparment of Crop Science, Faculty of Plant and Animal Sciences and Technology, Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Marondera, ZimbabweCollege of Life Science, Langfang Normal University, Langfang, Hebei, ChinaDrought stress causes peculiar challenges to plant cells reliant on turgor pressure and a polysaccharides-enriched cell wall for growth and development. Appropriate cell wall changes in mechanical properties and biochemical composition under stress conditions constitute an indispensable stress adaptation strategy. A better understanding of stress-induced cell wall modifications is not only crucial for accruing fundamental scientific knowledge in plant biology, but will help us design novel strategies for enhancing crop drought tolerance. Here, we extensively reviewed how selected cell wall remodeling mechanisms, including cell wall demethylesterification, cell wall loosening and stiffening, stomata guard cell wall adjustment, cell wall lignification and root cell wall suberization orchestrate plant drought tolerance, revealing a potential target area for drought tolerance improvement in crops. Stress-induced demethylesterification of pectins, mediated by pectin methylesterases, permits calcium crosslinking of polyphenolics, which enhances cell wall rigidity and may help in intra-cell water preservation. Cell wall proteins such as xyloglucan endotransglucosylases/hydrolase, β-glucanases and expansins are regulated by drought stress, and orchestrate cell turgor-driven cell expansion, through modulating the loosening of cell wall polysaccharides, enabling cell and organ growth under those conditions. Meanwhile, overexpression of certain cell wall proteins/genes such as expansins may promote drought tolerance by improving cell water retention, antioxidant capacity, water use efficiency, and osmotic adjustment. We also discuss the genetic, transcriptional, and phytohormonal regulations of cell wall remodeling. Further, we highlight the recent advancements in elucidation of plant cell wall biosynthesis as aided by cutting-edge high-resolution imaging techniques that now facilitate direct visualization and quantitative in-situ (real-time) microanalysis of cell wall chemical composition and dynamics. Integrating latest cell wall imaging techniques to innovative single-cell omics, genome editing, and advanced data analysis approaches could facilitate appropriate cell wall modifications necessary for drought tolerance engineering in crop plants.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1635078/fullcell wall modificationsdrought tolerancepectin methyltransferasesstomata guard cell walllignificationcell wall imaging |
| spellingShingle | Nannan Zhao Zhiguo Zhou Shunli Cui Xinye Zhang Shu Zhu Ying Wang Tinashe Zenda Li Wenjing Advanced imaging-enabled understanding of cell wall remodeling mechanisms mediating plant drought stress tolerance Frontiers in Plant Science cell wall modifications drought tolerance pectin methyltransferases stomata guard cell wall lignification cell wall imaging |
| title | Advanced imaging-enabled understanding of cell wall remodeling mechanisms mediating plant drought stress tolerance |
| title_full | Advanced imaging-enabled understanding of cell wall remodeling mechanisms mediating plant drought stress tolerance |
| title_fullStr | Advanced imaging-enabled understanding of cell wall remodeling mechanisms mediating plant drought stress tolerance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Advanced imaging-enabled understanding of cell wall remodeling mechanisms mediating plant drought stress tolerance |
| title_short | Advanced imaging-enabled understanding of cell wall remodeling mechanisms mediating plant drought stress tolerance |
| title_sort | advanced imaging enabled understanding of cell wall remodeling mechanisms mediating plant drought stress tolerance |
| topic | cell wall modifications drought tolerance pectin methyltransferases stomata guard cell wall lignification cell wall imaging |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1635078/full |
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