Article
Plant Sciences
Charlotte Permann, Klaus Herburger, Martin Felhofer, Notburga Gierlinger, Louise A. Lewis, Andreas Holzinger
Summary: The study found that Zygnematophyceae thriving in high-altitude alpine habitats possess a special means of sexual reproduction, forming resistant zygospores, and successfully induced sexual reproduction under laboratory conditions. This further supports the hypothesis that sexual reproduction in Zygnematophyceae may have played an important role in the evolution of terrestrial plants.
Correction
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jessica C. Huss, Sebastian J. Antreich, Jakob Bachmayr, Nannan Xiao, Michaela Eder, Johannes Konnerth, Notburga Gierlinger
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yingxuan Ma, Colleen P. MacMillan, Lisanne de Vries, Shawn D. Mansfield, Pengfei Hao, Julian Ratcliffe, Antony Bacic, Kim L. Johnson
Summary: This study suggests that FLA11 and FLA12 may act as cell surface sensors in plant xylem cells, allowing them to sense mechanical stimuli and regulate secondary cell wall (SCW) development. Overexpression of FLA11 promotes earlier SCW development, while overexpression of FLA12 increases cellulose content. These proteins play a role in modulating SCW responses to mechanical stress.
Article
Plant Sciences
Elizabeth L. Mahon, Lisanne de Vries, Soo-Kyeong Jang, Sandeep Middar, Hoon Kim, Faride Unda, John Ralph, Shawn D. Mansfield
Summary: Expressing apple-derived chalcone synthase in actively lignifying poplar xylem tissue leads to decreased lignin content, improved saccharification rates, and incorporation of naringenin into lignins. The transgenic trees also exhibited higher cell wall carbohydrate content and performed better in saccharification assays compared to wild-type trees.
Article
Plant Sciences
Lisanne de Vries, Heather A. MacKay, Rebecca A. Smith, Yaseen Mottiar, Steven D. Karlen, Faride Unda, Emilia Muirragui, Craig Bingman, Kirk Vander Meulen, Emily T. Beebe, Brian G. Fox, John Ralph, Shawn D. Mansfield
Summary: Researchers have identified an enzyme called pHBMT1 that adds p-hydroxybenzoate ester moieties to poplar lignin. They found a positive correlation between the expression of the pHBMT1 gene and p-hydroxybenzoate levels. Overexpression of pHBMT1 in transgenic poplar resulted in an increase in soluble and cell-wall-bound p-hydroxybenzoate esters.
Article
Plant Sciences
Peter Bock, Martin Felhofer, Konrad Mayer, Notburga Gierlinger
Summary: This article introduces how to study the chemistry and structure of plant cuticles using Raman microscopy, and provides an optimized experimental workflow. By investigating different plant cuticles, the study reveals the diversity in chemical and structural composition and validates this finding through data analysis.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Barbara De Meester, Rebecca Van Acker, Marlies Wouters, Silvia Traversari, Marijke Steenackers, Jenny Neukermans, Frank Van Breusegem, Annabelle Dejardin, Gilles Pilate, Wout Boerjan
Summary: This study evaluated the performance of poplars with downregulated CINNAMYL ALCOHOL DEHYDROGENASE 1 (CAD1) in the field and found that they showed improved saccharification yields but also exhibited negative effects such as leaning phenotypes, early bud set, and reduced yield.
Article
Plant Sciences
Sebastian J. Antreich, Jessica C. Huss, Nannan Xiao, Adya Singh, Notburga Gierlinger
Summary: The study revealed a complex pit channel network in the walnut shell during development, and the presence of intercellular spaces played a crucial role in the drying process. Comparisons with other nut species indicated that the connectivity of walnut shell decreased with maturation during sclerification, but intercellular spaces remained unchanged, allowing air and water flow.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lennart Hoengenaert, Marlies Wouters, Hoon Kim, Barbara De Meester, Kris Morreel, Steven Vandersyppe, Jacob Pollier, Sandrien Desmet, Geert Goeminne, John Ralph, Wout Boerjan, Ruben Vanholme
Summary: To improve the conversion efficiency of lignocellulosic biomass, researchers incorporated scopoletin, a compound, into the lignin polymer of Arabidopsis through genetic modification. The transgenic plants showed higher saccharification efficiency without affecting plant growth.
Article
Plant Sciences
Ana Gonzalez Moreno, Eva Dominguez, Konrad Mayer, Nannan Xiao, Peter Bock, Antonio Heredia, Notburga Gierlinger
Summary: Raman mapping and multivariate data analysis were used to investigate the distribution of cutin, carbohydrates, and phenolics in the cuticle of tomato fruit. Three main components, cutin, polysaccharides, and aromatics, were identified, with phenolic acids and flavonoids showing different distribution patterns during development.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jonas Garemark, E. Perea-Buceta, Martin Felhofer, Bin Chen, Maria F. Cortes Ruiz, Ioanna Sapouna, Notburga Gierlinger, Ilkka Antero Kilpelainen, Lars A. . Berglund, Yuanyuan Li
Summary: In this work, strong shape-memory bio-aerogels with high specific surface areas and low thermal conductivity were prepared through a one-step treatment of native wood. The methodology developed for nanoscale reassembly of wood is a significant advancement for the design of biobased shape-memory aerogels.
Article
Plant Sciences
Charlotte Permann, Notburga Gierlinger, Andreas Holzinger
Summary: This study investigated the structure and chemical composition of the zygospore cell walls of Spirogyra sp., a class of streptophyte green algae. The zygospore walls were found to have three main layers, composed of different polysaccharides and aromatic compounds. The presence of cellulose fibrils and lipid bodies in the zygospore walls was also observed. These findings provide insights into the complex structure and composition of zygospore cell walls and their potential role in terrestrial colonization and plant evolution.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Marlies Wouters, Heloise Bastiaanse, Stephane Rombauts, Lisanne de Vries, Tim De Pooter, Mojca Strazisar, Godfrey Neutelings, Ruben Vanholme, Wout Boerjan
Summary: The dwarfed phenotype of the Arabidopsis cinnamoyl-CoA reductase 1-6 intronic transfer DNA (T-DNA) lignin mutant is restored by the introduction of additional T-DNAs sharing identical sequences.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Oriane Morel, Notburga Gierlinger
Summary: Structural and chemical tissue heterogeneity in plant stems is crucial for their growth, survival and various functions. By cutting microsections and using Confocal Raman microscopy, the authors mapped the cross-section of Arabidopsis stems, revealing the distribution of vascular bundles, interfascicular fibers, parenchyma and epidermis. Hyperspectral datasets of the stem sections were obtained, and three multivariate approaches were used to visualize the chemical heterogeneity. The findings provided insights into the molecular composition and distribution patterns of different compounds in plant stem tissues.
MICROCHEMICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jessica C. Huss, Sebastian J. Antreich, Martin Felhofer, Konrad Mayer, Michaela Eder, Ana Catarina Vieira Dias dos Santos, Georg Ramer, Bernhard Lendl, Notburga Gierlinger
Summary: The water caltrop develops unique woody fruits with unusually large seeds among aquatic plants. Hydrolyzable tannins flood the endocarp tissue during fruit development and lignin is integrated into the cell walls during maturation. The presence of ester linkages in the mature tissue suggests that gallotannins and their derivatives are cross-linked to other wall components, leading to unique cell-wall properties.