| Abstract | Several cytoskeleton mutants of arabidopsis have roots that twist as they grow. Cortical microtubule arrays in these mutants adopt a consistent helical handedness opposite to that of the root. A kinematic description of growth in these roots is presented, incorporating axial elongation, radial expansion, and twisting. Then, using data on the orientation of cellulose microfibrils in root cell walls, the biomechanics of twisting growth in roots is explored to determine how the presumed tendency of individual cells to twist relates to a twist manifested at the whole-root level. |
|---|
