Correlating endoreplication with biosynthesis, modification, and integrity of plant cell walls

Previous work indicates that endoreplication may play a role in cell wall fortification. Using the leaf as a model system, we will correlate endoreplication of epidermal cells with the expression of cell wall biosynthetic and modifying genes. In parallel, we will correlate the ploidy level of cells with their cell wall composition, and study the ploidy-cell size relationship in cell wall mutants.