Abstract
The biosynthesis of wood in aspen (Populus) depends on the metabolism of sucrose, which is the main transported form of carbon from source tissues. The largest fraction of the wood biomass is cellulose, which is synthesized from UDP-glucose. Sucrose synthase (SUS) has been proposed previously to interact directly with cellulose synthase complexes and specifically supply UDP-glucose for cellulose biosynthesis. To investigate the role of SUS in wood biosynthesis, we characterized transgenic lines of hybrid aspen with strongly reduced SUS activity in developing wood. No dramatic growth phenotypes in glasshouse-grown trees were observed, but chemical fingerprinting with pyrolysis-GC/MS, together with micromechanical analysis, showed notable changes in chemistry and ultrastructure of the wood in the transgenic lines. Wet chemical analysis showed that the dry weight percentage composition of wood polymers was not changed significantly. However, a decrease in wood density was observed and, consequently, the content of lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose was decreased per wood volume. The decrease in density was explained by a looser structure of fibre cell walls as shown by increased wall shrinkage on drying. The results show that SUS is not essential for cellulose biosynthesis, but plays a role in defining the total carbon incorporation to wood cell walls.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Reduced SUS activity produced no dramatic growth phenotype in glasshouse trees.
- Taxon
- aspene1
- Treatment
- reduced SUS activityt1
- Outcome
- growth phenotypese0
- Direction
- No dramatice0
- Setting
- glasshouse-growne0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“No dramatic growth phenotypes in glasshouse-grown trees were observed”
t0“developing wood”
e1“aspen (Populus)”
t1“transgenic lines of hybrid aspen with strongly reduced SUS activity in developing wood”
Claim · model-written summary
Reduced SUS lines had notable changes in wood chemistry and ultrastructure.
- Taxon
- aspene1
- Treatment
- transgenic linese0
- Outcome
- chemistry and ultrastructure of the woode0
- Direction
- changese0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“showed notable changes in chemistry and ultrastructure of the wood in the transgenic lines”
t0“developing wood”
e1“aspen (Populus)”
t1“transgenic lines of hybrid aspen with strongly reduced SUS activity in developing wood”
Claim · model-written summary
Dry-weight percentage composition of wood polymers did not change significantly.
- Taxon
- aspene1
- Treatment
- transgenic linest1
- Outcome
- dry weight percentage composition of wood polymerse0
- Direction
- not changede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“the dry weight percentage composition of wood polymers was not changed significantly”
t0“developing wood”
e1“aspen (Populus)”
t1“transgenic lines of hybrid aspen with strongly reduced SUS activity in developing wood”
Claim · model-written summary
Wood density decreased in reduced SUS lines.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“a decrease in wood density was observed”
t0“developing wood”
e1“aspen (Populus)”
t1“transgenic lines of hybrid aspen with strongly reduced SUS activity in developing wood”
Claim · model-written summary
Lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose content per wood volume decreased.
- Taxon
- aspene1
- Treatment
- transgenic linest1
- Outcome
- content of lignin, hemicellulose and cellulosee0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Qualifier
- per wood volumee0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“the content of lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose was decreased per wood volume”
t0“developing wood”
e1“aspen (Populus)”
t1“transgenic lines of hybrid aspen with strongly reduced SUS activity in developing wood”
Claim · model-written summary
Looser fibre walls, indicated by increased drying shrinkage, explained lower density.
Verbatim
e0“The decrease in density was explained by a looser structure of fibre cell walls as shown by increased wall shrinkage on drying.”
t0“developing wood”
e1“aspen (Populus)”
t1“transgenic lines of hybrid aspen with strongly reduced SUS activity in developing wood”
Claim · model-written summary
SUS was not essential for cellulose biosynthesis but influenced total carbon incorporation into wood cell walls.
Verbatim
e0“SUS is not essential for cellulose biosynthesis, but plays a role in defining the total carbon incorporation to wood cell walls”
t0“developing wood”
e1“aspen (Populus)”
t1“transgenic lines of hybrid aspen with strongly reduced SUS activity in developing wood”