Recently, researchers from the University of California, Davis, have made a breakthrough in understanding the structure of the cell wall of the legume family of plants. This discovery is of particular interest, as the cell wall of legumes is both tough and flexible, allowing the plant to withstand physical stress and to move. The researchers have identified the key molecule responsible for this flexibility: a protein called the pulvinar cell wall. This protein is responsible for the plant’s ability to sense and respond to mechanical force, and it is thought that this protein is what allows the plant to move in response to an external stimulus. This discovery could have implications for future research into the mechanisms of plant movement, and could potentially be used to engineer plants with enhanced mobility.

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source: Phys.org