Abstract
Increases in coniferaldehyde content, a minor lignin residue, significantly improves the sustainable use of plant biomass for feed, pulping, and biorefinery without affecting plant growth and yields. Herein, different analytical methods are compared and validated to distinguish coniferaldehyde from other lignin residues. It is shown that specific genetic pathways regulate amount, linkage, and position of coniferaldehyde within the lignin polymer for each cell type. This specific cellular regulation offers new possibilities for designing plant lignin for novel and targeted industrial uses.
Highlights
Dedicated to the memory of Professor Dr Julius Ritter von Wiesner, who initiated coniferaldehyde research in plant lignified biomass
We evaluated the relative positions of GCHO residues in the lignin polymer linked by β-O-4 (Scheme 1) using thioacidolysis coupled to gas chromatography and detection with mass spectroscopy and flame ionization
Our results show that the different lignin monomers are subjected to specific incorporation genetically controlling their amount, their position as well as their linkagetypes within the lignin polymer
Summary
Masanobu Yamamoto,[a] Leonard Blaschek,[b] Elena Subbotina,[c] Shinya Kajita,[a] and Edouard Pesquet*[b]. It is shown that specific genetic pathways regulate amount, linkage, and position of coniferaldehyde within the lignin polymer for each cell type. This specific cellular regulation offers new possibilities for designing plant lignin for novel and targeted industrial uses. Lignins constitute a class of water-insoluble phenolic polymers of variable size accumulating in plant cell walls. These polymers have different compositions and concentrations, depending on cell type, their developmental state, and environmental conditions, in order to ensure the chemical and mechanical properties required for the function of each cell type.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
