Summary
A method is described for measuring the cell wall mechanical properties of Avena coleoptiles in the absence of turgor stress or influences of a living protoplast. Forceextension curves obtained with a constant-rate-of-extension instrument and standard fiber-testing techniques demonstrate the permanence of cell wall loosening effects of prior indoleacetic acid (IAA) treatment of living tissue and provide evidence that these changes involve interactions between cell wall polymers. By this method various chemical and enzymatic modifications of cell walls can be evaluated in terms of altered mechanical properties. Thus, it was possible to remove over 97% of the cell nitrogen (including some hydroxyproline-containing protein) by hot methanol followed by enzymatic treatment and not change the extensibility properties of the tissue. In contrast, coleoptile mechanical properties were markedly influenced by chemical acetylation procedures or cellulase treatment.
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Olson, A.C., Bonner, J. & Morré, D.J. Force extension analysis of Avena coleoptile cell walls. Planta 66, 126–134 (1965). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00521347
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00521347