The cell wall in plant cell response to trace metals: polysaccharide remodeling and its role in defense strategy

This review paper is focused predominantly on the role of the cell wall in the defense response of plants to trace metals. It is generally known that this compartment accumulates toxic divalent and trivalent metal cations both during their uptake by the cell from the environment and at the final stage of their sequestration from the protoplast. However, from results obtained in recent years, our understanding of the role played by the cell wall in plant defense response to toxic metals has markedly altered. It has been shown that this compartment may function not only as a sink for toxic trace metal accumulation, but that it is also actively modified under trace metal stress. These modifications lead to an…