Cellulose microfibril alignment recovers from DCB-induced disruption despite microtubule disorganization

The Size of the Cellulose Microfibril

Recently the lateral width of the cellulose microfibril has been estimated as 30 A rather than about 150 to 200 A, by extrapolation of data from model shadowing experiments. The difference was attributed to a layer of metal deposited during shadowing. However, direct photographs of the same microfibrils parallel and perpendicular to the direction of shadowing, of unshadowed portions of microfib...

Disorganization of cortical microtubules stimulates tangential expansion and reduces the uniformity of cellulose microfibril alignment among cells in the root of Arabidopsis.

To test the role of cortical microtubules in aligning cellulose microfibrils and controlling anisotropic expansion, we exposed Arabidopsis thaliana roots to moderate levels of the microtubule inhibitor, oryzalin. After 2 d of treatment, roots grow at approximately steady state. At that time, the spatial profiles of relative expansion rate in length and diameter were quantified, and roots were c...

Cellulose Microfibril/Nanofibril and Its Nanocompsites

Cellulose micro/nanofibril (CMNF) as a reinforcing material for composites is becoming more and more attractive to researchers in composite science because of its potential lightweight and high strength. CMNF is generally prepared by either physical treatment, e.g., by a high pressure homogenizer and/or high pressure refiner, or chemical treatments, e.g., acid hydrolysis. In this study, attempt...

Molecular mechanisms that enhance synapse stability despite persistent disruption of the spectrin/ankyrin/microtubule cytoskeleton

Loss of spectrin or ankyrin in the presynaptic motoneuron disrupts the synaptic microtubule cytoskeleton and leads to disassembly of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Here, we demonstrate that NMJ disassembly after loss of alpha-spectrin can be suppressed by expression of a Wld(S) transgene, providing evidence for a Wallerian-type degenerative mechanism. We then identify a second signaling syst...

Cellulose Microfibril Angle in Wood and Its Dynamic Mechanical Significance