CD BioSciences offers a variety of techniques such as pressure probe technology and dual-indentation technology to accurately measure turgor pressure and cell wall elasticity in plant cells, providing data support for customers to understand the physiological processes closely related to turgor pressure including cell growth, water and solute uptake by cells, and the mechanisms involved in stomatal regulation.

Background

Turgor pressure, also known as hydrostatic pressure, is the pressure on the cell wall generated by the expansion of a plant cell due to the volume of water absorbed. Turgor pressure is of physiological importance to plant growth. Not only does it maintain cellular tension and keep the plant in its natural posture, it also regulates the opening and closing of stomata. The growth of plant cells is thought to be the result of a finely tuned interaction between turgor pressure (aimed at increasing volume) and rigid cell wall (aimed at limiting turgor-driven expansion). In order to describe growth at a mechanical level, it is necessary to quantify the turgor pressure and the elastic properties of the cell wall.

Over the years, the correlation between cell wall elasticity, turgor and growth has remained unclear, despite the rapid development of techniques to characterize the mechanical properties of plant cells that have contributed in elucidating how growth is controlled and coordinated. A variety of techniques have been established to estimate turgor, including pressure probes, ball tonometry and techniques based on indentation experiments.

Fig.1 Schematic representations for compression and microindentation and the experimental results. (Burri, 2019)

Our Services

CD BioSciences provides a variety of techniques for measuring turgor pressure and related quantities to help customers gain insight into the mechanical properties of plant cell walls. We offer three main methods including pressure probe techniques, ball tonometry and indentation methods. Our services include but are not limited to:

• Determination of turgor pressure and moisture relationship parameters in common higher plant cells.
• Determination of the rate and conductivity of water and solute uptake by individual cells and tissues.
• Determination of the elasticity or rigidity of cell walls.
• Simultaneous measurement of turgor and cell wall elasticity on the same cell in a non-invasive and high throughput manner by combining microindentation with cell compression experiments.

Applications

• Study on the cell wall mutant lines
• Study on the cytomechanics of single turgid cells
• Study on the expansion regulation of growing cells

Advantages

• Long-standing expertise
• Robust, scalable and cost-efficient biophysical assays
• Fast turn-around times
• Customized experimental strategies

Equipped with a comprehensive biophysical technology platform, CD BioSciences provides customers with measurement services of plant cell wall turgor pressure and related quantities. We are committed to developing and optimizing advanced and accurate assays to help our customers study the mechanisms behind plant growth and expansion. For technical support in characterizing the mechanical properties of the cell wall, please contact us for details.

Reference

1. Burri, J. T.; et al. A microrobotic system for simultaneous measurement of turgor pressure and cell-wall elasticity of individual growing plant cells. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters. 2019, 4(2): 641-646.

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