Novel tool to quantify cell wall porosity relates wall structure to cell growth and drug uptake

TY - JOUR

T1 - Novel tool to quantify cell wall porosity relates wall structure to cell growth and drug uptake

AU - Liu, Xiaohui

AU - Li, Jiazhou

AU - Zhao, Heyu

AU - Liu, Boyang

AU - Günther-Pomorski, Thomas

AU - Chen, Shaolin

AU - Liesche, Johannes

PY - 2019/4

Y1 - 2019/4

N2 - Even though cell walls have essential functions for bacteria, fungi, and plants, tools to investigate their dynamic structure in living cells have been missing. Here, it is shown that changes in the intensity of the plasma membrane dye FM4-64 in response to extracellular quenchers depend on the nano-scale porosity of cell walls. The correlation of quenching efficiency and cell wall porosity is supported by tests on various cell types, application of differently sized quenchers, and comparison of results with confocal, electron, and atomic force microscopy images. The quenching assay was used to investigate how changes in cell wall porosity affect the capability for extension growth in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Results suggest that increased porosity is not a precondition but a result of cell extension, thereby providing new insight on the mechanism plant organ growth. Furthermore, it was shown that higher cell wall porosity can facilitate the action of antifungal drugs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, presumably by facilitating uptake.

AB - Even though cell walls have essential functions for bacteria, fungi, and plants, tools to investigate their dynamic structure in living cells have been missing. Here, it is shown that changes in the intensity of the plasma membrane dye FM4-64 in response to extracellular quenchers depend on the nano-scale porosity of cell walls. The correlation of quenching efficiency and cell wall porosity is supported by tests on various cell types, application of differently sized quenchers, and comparison of results with confocal, electron, and atomic force microscopy images. The quenching assay was used to investigate how changes in cell wall porosity affect the capability for extension growth in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Results suggest that increased porosity is not a precondition but a result of cell extension, thereby providing new insight on the mechanism plant organ growth. Furthermore, it was shown that higher cell wall porosity can facilitate the action of antifungal drugs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, presumably by facilitating uptake.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85064208698&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1083/jcb.201810121

DO - 10.1083/jcb.201810121

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 30782779

AN - SCOPUS:85064208698

SN - 0021-9525

VL - 218

SP - 1407

EP - 1420

JO - Journal of Cell Biology

JF - Journal of Cell Biology

IS - 4

ER -