Watchers on the Wall

The plant cell wall serves as the first barrier against biotic stress, yet our understanding of its rapid, early changes during pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) remains limited.

The Watchers on the Wall project aims to identify how mechanical and chemical properties of the cell wall change during the initial phases of PTI and how these changes activate CWI monitoring systems. Key questions include:

• How do early elicitor signals alter the wall’s mechanics and composition?

• How do these changes interact to drive immune responses?

• How do mechanical cues influence downstream stress signalling?

Using novel tools to monitor real-time nanoscale wall changes, this project links cell wall dynamics to immune signalling, advancing our understanding of plant defence mechanisms.

This project is funded by the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet).