Algae microfibril orientation

I. Tsekos, N. Orologas, and W. Herth, Cellulose microfibril assembly and orientation in some bangiophyte red algae Relationship between synthesizing terminal complexes and microfibril structure, shape, and dimensions, Phycologia, 38 (1999) 217-224. 

Electron microscopy of the unicellular green alga Oocystis has indicated that the synthesis and orientation of the cellulose microfibrils involve a linear enzyme complex, which is embedded in the B face of the plasma membrane." Granular bands on the A face and complementary ridges on the B face are thought to assist in orienting the newly synthesized microfibrils. 

High-resolution images of cellulose I microcrystals [155] demonstrated the application of CM-AFM to the study of large biopolymers. Here, the 0.52 nm repeat along the chains of the cellulose from Valonia ventricosa (a dark-green balloon-Uke marine alga) was observed. AFM has also been used to study the polysaccharides present in wheat straw cell walls [156], where clear differences can be seen both before and after de-waxing. Cellulose appeared to form microfibrils which were orientated in one direction. These fibrils measured some 20 nm in diameter and are believed to contain as many as 60-80 cellulose molecular chains. 

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