The plant cell wall. Methods and protocols

Abstract

A proper understanding of the dynamic nature of the plant cell wall requires knowledge of how individual cells, tissues and organs modulate their metabolism during growth and differentiation under given environmental conditions. Although it is difficult to give an exhaustive account of this topic, the different chapters of this book report in great detail and with clarity how it is possible to get an insight into this complexity by combining both traditional and up-to-date techniques in a multidisciplinary approach. It has been a great pleasure to read the 20 different thematic chapters included here, with each one written by distinguished experts in their field. As soon as you open the book and look at the titles of the chapters you immediately get an idea of how the plant cell wall can be investigated by using a wide range of techniques. The chapters are finely structured and well organised. The protocols given in the Materials and Methods are very precise, listing step by step every single detail of the procedure. With the exception of Chapter 2, dedicated to the ‘Computerized molecular modelling of carbohydrates’, all the other chapters – in addition to including a short but thought-provoking Introduction followed by Materials and Methods – conclude with important technical Notes and some ideas for the reader's consideration. All this engenders familiarity with the experimental approach. The essential references given for each chapter provide a useful resource of research papers, books and reviews to consult for further details. All figures and tables in the book are essential, well prepared and informative. Writing this book review has caused me to reflect on my own time spent on bench work: the traditional, but also fundamental, techniques are carefully described with lots of detail in the different chapters; at the same time, I also appreciate the description of up-to-date analytical techniques adapted to the study of cell wall polymers. In addition, the chapters related to molecular biology, electron tomography, confocal and atomic force microscopy applied to the study of plant cell walls are lucidly expounded. This up-to-date book, in its great simplicity and clarity, is very stimulating. Each chapter offers a different perspective coloured by the outstanding insight of each of the authors, who have personally experienced the beauty of studying the dynamic structure of the plant cell wall. This is, most probably, the main reason why the style of the book remains clear and homogeneous in every chapter. I give congratulations to the editor for their work in assembling the book and for the standardisation within the chapters, and to all the authors who have devoted their time to producing clearly written chapters that give lots of practical details with the aim of encouraging researchers in their studies of the different aspects of the plant cell wall. Another excellent aspect of this book is represented by the multidisciplinary methods described, which should encourage researchers to interact with colleagues with different cultural and technical backgrounds. I believe that integrative approaches will be critical for future discoveries regarding the plant cell wall, and that this book will play a fundamental role in this direction. The book is so wide-ranging and comprehensive that it is hard to compare with any other book on the topic. In conclusion, I feel confident that researchers, postgraduate students and technicians involved in the wide areas of plant biology, agricultural science and biotechnology will appreciate the elegant and detailed compilation of methods and technologies found in this book. Indeed, I would like to suggest this book as recommended reading on laboratory practice in universities as well as in private laboratories. I do hope it will be widely read in the scientific community, and my compliments to all the authors and to the editor.