Plant Cell Walls Can Control Growth in the Dark

A study conducted by Krämer et al, examing how are light signals transmitted from the top of the seedling further down the plant so the switch from skoto-to photomorphogenesis can commence is presented. Krämer's team made use of Arabidopsis mutants that use photomorphogenesis even in the dark, ending up with longer roots and fuller, greener leaves than they would through skotomorphogenesis. The researchers found that pectin, a cell-wall component, had chemical modifications, including more methyl carboxyester groups and less acetylation.