ABSTRACT

Cell walls are extracellular structures overlying the plasma membranes of all plant cells. ey are complex assemblies of various polysaccharides, lignins, and some proteins (Bacic et al., 1988). Cell walls exhibit wide variations in composition, structures, and properties, which stem from their numerous and diverse functions in the plant depending on the cell’s phase of development and tissue location. Most importantly, cell walls serve as

structural elements imparting shape, strength, and resilience to the tissue; they also provide a barrier against the environment and potentially pathogenic organisms (Bacic et al., 1988). e walls have transport and communication functions, and, due to their porous structure, they act as conduits for movement of water, dissolved nutrients, phytohormones, and morphogenetic and other signaling molecules between cells (Carpita, 1996; Jarvis, 2011). Cell walls are dynamic structures, with their constituents undergoing various molecular rearrangements that occur within the walls (in muro) in response to plant’s physiological needs (e.g., cell expansion, dierentiation, maturation, or repair) and external stresses (Harris, 2005b). Cereal cell walls are, therefore, renewable resources of nonstarch polysaccharides (NSP) that should be further explored to take the full advantage of their structural diversity and functional versatility.