Cell Wall

Types, Structure and Functions

 Introduction
• A plant cell wall was first observed and named
simply as a “wall” by Robert Hooke in 1665
• In 1804, Karl Rudolphi and J.H.F. Link proved
that cells have independent cell walls
• A cell wall is a structural layer that surrounds
some types of cells, situated outside the cell
membrane
• It can be tough, flexible and rigid which provides
cell with both structural support and protection
 Type
s
• On the basis of chemical composition of cell
wall there are three types of cell wall:
1)Bacterial Cell Wall : made up of
Mucopeptide and Muramic acid
2) Cell wall of Fungi: made up of
Chitin.
3) Plant Cell wall: made up of
Cellulose
Bacterial Cell Wall
 Bacterial Cell Wall Composition
• Peptidoglycan, also known as murein, is a polymer consisting
of sugars and amino acids that forms a mesh – like layer
outside the cell membrane of most bacteria forming cell wall
• The sugars component consist of alternating residues of β -
(1,4) linked N- acetylglucosamine and N- acetylmuramic acid
• These subunits which are related to glucose in their structure
are covalently joined to one another to form glycan chains
• Attached to the N- acetylmuramic acid is a peptide chain of
three to five amino acids
• The peptide chain can be cross- linked to the peptide chain of
another strand forming the peptidoglycan
 Gram Positive Cell Wall
• Usually thick, homogenous, composed mainly
of peptidoglycan
• It accounts 50- 90% of the dry weight of the
cell wall
• Contain large amount of teichoic acids
 Gram Negative Cell Wall
• Multi layered and more complex than Gram
positive cell walls
• Peptidoglycan of Gram negative bacteria is
thin comprises only 10% or less of cell
wall
• Outer membrane lies outside the thin
peptidoglycan layer
• Most abundant protein is Braun’s
lipoprotein
 Fungal Cell Wall
• Fungi are eukaryotes
• Nearly all multicellular (yeasts are unicellular)
•Spore- bearing protists that lack chlorophyll
Two types
• Yeasts
• Molds( filamentous and multicellular)
 Fungal Cell Wall Composition
• The cell wall is made up of
– Chitin (polymers of acetylated amino sugar N-
acetylglucosamine)
– Glucans
– Proteins
• Glucan and Chitin are components of the primary
wall
• Proteins are components of the secondary wall
• Other components include chitosan, melanins
and lipids
 Function of Fungal Cell Wall
• Protects against osmotic lysis
• Acts as a molecular sieve
• Contains pigments for protection
• Binding sites for enzymes
• The outermost surface of the cell wall
– provides a medium between the cell and the
environment
– a site where antigen and agglutinin gets attached to
the substrate, host and other cells
 Plant Cell Wall
• The plant cell wall is a remarkable structure. It
provides the most significant difference between
plant cells and other eukaryotic cells
• The wall is rigid (up to many micrometers in thickness)
and gives plant cells a very defined shape
• While most cells have a outer membrane , none
is comparable in strength to the plant cell wall
• The cell wall is the reason for the difference
between plant and animal cell functions. Because
the plant has evolved this rigid structure
 Components of Plant Cell Wall
• The plant cell wall composed of
1. The Middle Lamella
2. The Primary Cell Wall
3.The Secondary Cell Wall
4. The Tertiary Cell Wall
 Composition of Plant Cell Wall
• MIDDLE LAMELLA
– It is present between two adjacent cells
– It is situated outside primary cell wall and is made up of calcium
and magnesium pectate
– It acts as cement which holds the adjacent cells together
• PRIMARY CELL WALL
– It is formed after the middle lamella
– A thin, flexible and extensible layer
– It is capable of growth and expansion
– The backbone of primary cell wall is formed by the cellulose
fibrils
– The matrix is composed of hemicellulose, pectin compounds,
lipids, structural proteins
 Composition of Plant Cell Wall
• SECONDARY CELL WALL
• It is extremely rigid and provides strength
• It is not found in all cell types
• It consists of three layers known as
S1(outer),S2(middle) and
S3(inner)
• It is composed of cellulose, hemicellulose and
lignin
 Composition of Plant Cell Wall
• TERTIARY CELL WALL
• Tertiary cell wall is deposited in few cells
• It is considered to be dry residue of protoplast
• Besides cellulose and hemi-cellulose, xylan is
also present
 Composition of Plant Cell Wall
• The cell wall is mainly composed of carbohydrate materials
• The major components of cell wall are cellulose, pectins,
hemicelluloses, proteins and phenolics
• Cellulose: It provides shape and strength to the cell wall. It
composes 20-30 % of the dry weight of primary wall and
accounts 40-90% of the dry weight of secondary wall
• Pectins: They are group of polysaccharides, which are rich in
galacturonic acid, rhamnose, arabinose and galactose . Pectins
are present in high concentration in the middle lamella where
they presumably serve the function of cementing adjacent
cells together
 Composition of Plant Cell Wall
• Hemicelluloses: These are matrix polysaccharides built up of
a variety of different sugars. They differ in different species
and in different cell types
• Xylan: It typically makes up roughly 5% of primary cell wall
and 20% of secondary cell wall in dicots. This hemi cellulosic
polysaccharide is linked with xylose and arabinose
• Proteins: Different varieties of protein are present in the cell
wall, most of which are linked with carbohydrate forming
glycoprotein. The cell wall glycoprotein extensin contains an
unusual amino acid hydroxyproline (about 40%), which is
generally absent from the protoplast. Extensins are present in
the primary cell walls of dicots making up one to ten percent
of the wall
 Functions of Cell Wall
• They determine the morphology, growth and
development of plant cells
• They protect the protoplasm from invasion by viral,
bacterial and fungal pathogens
• They are rigid structures and thus help the plant in
withstanding the gravitational forces
• They are involved in the transport of materials
and
metabolites into and out of cell
• They withstand the turgor pressure which develops
within the cells due to high osmotic pressure
 Properties
• RIGIDITY
– tensile strength
– Hydraulic turgor pressure
– Inflation
• PERMEABILITY
– Primary cell wall- 30 to 60kDa
– CO2 , H2O – apoplastic flow
– pH