Plant Cell Walls and Their Roles in Developmental Processes and Stress Responses

Dear Colleagues,

Plant cell walls are dynamic, multifunctional structures that play central roles in plant growth, development, and survival under fluctuating environmental conditions. Far from being inert barriers, plant cell walls are actively re-modelled during developmental transitions and in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Recent advances in cell wall biology have revealed their importance in cellular signalling, mechano-perception, and the integration of environmental cues with developmental programmes. Despite significant progress, many of the molecular, biochemical, and biophysical mechanisms governing cell wall dynamics remain poorly resolved.

For this Special Issue of Plants, we invite the submission of original research articles and authoritative review papers that advance our understanding of plant cell walls in developmental processes and stress responses. The aim is to provide a multidisciplinary platform that integrates molecular, genetic, biochemical, physiological, biomechanical, omics-based, and computational approaches to highlight emerging concepts, methodological advances, and key knowledge gaps in plant cell wall research. Early-career researchers, including postgraduate students and postdoctoral scientists, are particularly encouraged to contribute alongside established investigators to foster an inclusive, rigorous, and collaborative research community.

We welcome studies addressing how cell wall composition, architecture, and mechanics regulate cell expansion, differentiation, tissue patterning, and organ formation across developmental scales. Contributions examining wall re-modelling during meristematic activity, reproductive development, vascular differentiation, and senescence are encouraged. Research elucidating the roles of wall-associated receptors, mechanosensitive channels, and downstream signalling networks in coordinating development with mechanical and biochemical cues is especially encouraged.

This Special Issue also seeks contributions focusing on plant cell walls as key determinants of stress perception, adaptation, and tolerance. Relevant studies may address responses to drought, salinity, temperature extremes, nutrient limitation, oxidative stress, and mechanical perturbation, as well as interactions with pathogens, pests, and beneficial microbes. Work investigating how modifications in polysaccharide composition, cross-linking, and wall-associated proteins influence stress resilience, acclimation, and recovery is strongly encouraged. Comparative analyses, including studies in crop species, model systems, and extremophile or resurrection plants, are particularly welcome.

Submissions employing innovative methodologies, such as advanced imaging, glycomics, biomechanics, multi-omics integration, bioinformatics, and computational modelling, are highly encouraged. Reviews that synthesise recent advances, critically evaluate methodological limitations, and propose new conceptual frameworks for linking cell wall dynamics with development and stress responses are especially welcome. To support early-career researchers, this Special Issue encourages transparent reporting, data sharing, and interdisciplinary collaboration as foundations for reproducible, impactful science.

By bringing together diverse perspectives and technical approaches, we aim to advance fundamental understanding while informing applied strategies for crop improvement and stress resilience. We invite contributions from researchers at all career stages and geographic regions to help build a comprehensive, forward-looking resource for the plant science community. Submissions that combine mechanistic insight with translational relevance are particularly encouraged, and we look forward to showcasing innovative, high-quality research that will shape future directions in plant cell wall biology. Collectively these contributions will strengthen theoretical frameworks, inspire methodological innovation, and support the training and visibility of emerging scientists within the global cell wall community.

Dr. John P. Moore
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• plant cell walls
• cell wall dynamics
• cell wall remodelling
• plant development
• stress responses
• cell wall signalling
• mechanoperception
• polysaccharides
• wall proteins
• stress tolerance