Stress-relaxation properties of plant cell walls with special reference to auxin action

Abstract

Stress-relaxation analysis was employed to determine changes in cell wall properties of Avena coleoptile and green pea stem. The stress-relaxation curve of the cell wall was simulated by a model consisting of four Maxwell viscoelastic components. Auxin changes only the initial part of the curve, indicating that auxin primarily decreases the relaxation time of the model. Significance of the τ spectrum, representing a generalized Maxwell model for cell wall properties, is also discussed in terms of auxin action.