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Abstract
Modification of the plant primary cell wall is required for both cell expansion and
for developmental events, such as fruit softening, where cell size remains static
but where wall loosening is an important feature. Recent studies suggest that the
cellulose-xyloglucan network is targeted by similar enzymatic activities in both expanding
cells and ripening fruit but that unique isoforms are expressed in each process. Disassembly
of this structural network probably involves the concerted and synergistic action
of suites of these enzyme families, where one family of cell wall modifying proteins
might mediate the activity of another, providing the basis for orchestrating ordered
cell wall restructuring and turnover.