Holdfast adhesion in the kelp Alaria marginata: Cell wall polysaccharides and phenolics
Maisie R. Roy‐Musor, Christa Agoawike, A. Lacey Samuels, Patrick T. Martone · 2026
Read Holdfast adhesion in the kelp Alaria marginata: Cell wall polysaccharides and phenolics by Maisie R. Roy‐Musor, Christa Agoawike, A. Lacey Samuels, Patrick T. Martone (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/PMC13485184.txt.
Description
Maisie R Roy-Musor dissects the glue that anchors a Pacific kelp to rock against pounding surf. Published in 2026, the study examines developing holdfasts of Alaria marginata with light, fluorescence, and electron microscopy. Anchor cells called rhizoids grow into a dense intertwined mat cemented by secreted adhesive, whose recipe had been charted mainly in a different seaweed order.
High-resolution immune staining shows the kelp glue built from sulfated fucose-rich sugars plus alginate, dominated by two antibody-defined patterns. The adhesive reads as an extension of the cell wall with its own distinct makeup rather than wall material simply smeared outward. Open questions remain about phenolic compounds and proteins in the mix. A natural underwater adhesive recipe, fully decoded, could inspire surgical and marine glues.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Maisie R. Roy‐Musor, Christa Agoawike, A. Lacey Samuels, Patrick T. Martone |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 42471 |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |