Abstract
Expansins are proteins that loosen plant cell walls but lack enzymatic activity. Here, we describe two protocols tailored to measure the biomechanical activity of bacterial expansin. The first assay relies on weakening of filter paper by expansin. The second assay is based on induction of creep (long-term, irreversible extension) of plant cell wall samples.
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Acknowledgment
This work was supported by United States Department of Energy Grant DE-FG02-84ER13179 from the Office of Basic Energy Sciences.
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Cosgrove, D.J., Hepler, N.K., Wagner, E.R., Durachko, D.M. (2017). Measuring the Biomechanical Loosening Action of Bacterial Expansins on Paper and Plant Cell Walls. In: Abbott, D., Lammerts van Bueren, A. (eds) Protein-Carbohydrate Interactions. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1588. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6899-2_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6899-2_12
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