Biosynthesis of plant cell wall polysaccharides

Understanding of the biosynthesis of plant cell wall polysaccharides is lacking at present. More attention has been paid to the synthesis of other carbohydrate sink-materials such as starch and sucrose and progress in the study of wall polysaccharides has been more directed towards understanding turnover up to the present time. The main reasons for this deficiency are the potential number and complexity of enzymes required for wall polysaccharide synthesis, difficulty in their purification and the consequent lack of identified genes. This review illustrates the progress in the light of work in the author's laboratory which has been directed towards improving identification of the enzymes involved. Wider progress in the field is reviewed that has led to identification of the first set of polysaccharide synthase genes. Some aspects of regulation of cell wall polysaccharide synthesis during growth, differentiation and biotic stress are also highlighted. Progress in engineering the polysaccharide content of walls is also reviewed.