4DWalls

As root cells grow and differentiate, their walls pass through distinct states within short time frames, each with its own composition and mechanical properties. 4DWalls asks how growing cells establish and respond to these cell wall states, and how the states connect to the gene expression programmes of individual cell types.

Focusing on the transition zone of the Arabidopsis thaliana root, where cells move from division to rapid elongation, the project combines three spatial measurements at cellular resolution: i) cell wall mechanics, measured by Brillouin microscopy; ii) cell wall chemical composition, measured by optical photothermal infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy; iii) gene expression in situ, measured by Xenium spatial transcriptomics. These layers will be integrated over time into an atlas of the root transition zone: three dimensions in space, plus time, hence the project's name.

Cell wall mechanics, wall chemistry, and gene expression are usually studied separately, so it remains unclear how they relate to one another in individual cells. A time-resolved atlas linking all three is intended to show which wall states coincide with which gene programmes, and to provide a resource for the wider plant cell wall community.

This project is funded by the Kempe Foundations.