Comparative studies on wood structure and microtensile properties between compression and opposite wood fibers of Chinese fir plantation

The microtensile properties of mechanically isolated compression wood (CW) and opposite wood (OW) tracheids of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) were investigated and discussed with respect to their structure. Major differences in the tensile modulus and ultimate tensile stress were found between CW and OW fibers. Compared to OW, CW showed a larger cellulose microfibril angle, less cellulose content and probably more pits, resulting in lower tensile properties. These findings contribute to a further understanding of the structural–mechanical relationships of Chinese fir wood at the cell and cell wall level, and provide a scientific basis for better utilization of plantation softwood.

Early transcriptional response to gravistimulation in poplar without phototropic confounding factors

Background and Aims In response to gravistimulation under anisotropic light, tree stems showing an active cambium produce reaction wood that redirects the axis of the trees. Several studies have described transcriptomic or proteomic models of reaction wood relative to the opposite wood. However, the mechanisms leading to the formation of reaction wood are difficult to decipher because so many environmental factors can induce various signaling pathways leading to this developmental reprogramming. Using an innovative isotropic device where the phototropic response does not interfere with gravistimulation we characterized the early molecular responses occurring in the stem of poplar after gravistimulation in an isotropic environment, and without deformation of the stem. Methods After 30 minutes tilting at 35° under anisotropic light, we collected the upper and lower xylems from the inclined stems. Controls were collected from vertical stems. We used a microarray approach to identify differentially expressed transcripts. High throughput real-time PCR allowed a kinetic experiment at 0, 30, 120 and 180 minutes after tilting at 35°, with candidate genes. Key Results We identified 668 differentially expressed transcripts, from which we selected 153 candidates for additional fluidigm qPCR assessment. Five candidate co-expression gene clusters have been identified after the kinetic monitoring of the expression of candidate genes. Gene-ontology analyses indicate that molecular reprogramming of processes such as “wood cell expansion”, “cell wall reorganization” and “programmed cell death” occur as early as 30 minutes after gravistimulation. Of note is that the change in the expression of different genes involves a fine regulation of gibberellin and brassinosteroid pathways as well as flavonoid and phosphoinositide pathways. Conclusions Our experimental setup allowed the identification of genes regulated in early gravitropic response without the bias introduced by phototropic and stem bending responses.

Relationship between pore structure and gas permeability in poplar (Populus deltoides CL.’55/65’) tension wood

Key message The important anatomical changes in tension wood, e.g., the high fiber ratio and rich mesopores, did not significantly increase the air and nitrogen flow; thus the gas permeability in the longitudinal direction of poplar (Populus deltoidesCL.’55/65′) tension wood is actually affected by the cell tissue macroporous porosity. Context Gas permeability is one of the most important physical properties of wood and is closely related to its internal microstructure, particularly porosity. Tension wood is widespread in woody plants and displays significant structural differences compared with opposite wood. Aims The study was designed to clarify the relationship between pore structure and gas permeability in poplar tension wood. Methods The gas permeability was measured using a self-made device. The meso- and macroporosity characteristics were measured by nitrogen adsorption–desorption and mercury intrusion porosimetry. The flow was simulated using ANSYS Fluent software to illustrate the role of pore structure on permeability. Results The morphological features of vessels have an effect on wood permeability. Compared with tension wood, opposite wood, which has higher vessel ratio, larger cell lumen diameter, and more rich pits, shows stronger gas permeability. Increasing the airflow path will actually reduce the gas permeability. The simulation results are consistent with the experimental results. Conclusion In hardwoods, the gas permeability in the longitudinal direction is mainly dictated by the vessels. The high fiber ratio and rich mesopore in tension wood do not significantly increase gas flow, suggesting the permeability of wood was actually determined by the cell tissue with macroporous porosity. Vessel tissue ratio, length and diameter, and intervessel pit size were found responsible for influencing the permeability in the longitudinal direction.

Structural differences between reaction wood and opposite wood with different drying temperatures

Reaction wood is characterized by having different anatomical and chemical features than normal wood. The different composition of cell walls, the higher quantitative proportion of thick-wall fiber cells, diameter, and the abundance of vessels have remarkable effects on reaction wood’s physical and mechanical properties. Reaction wood has fewer vascular cells. In addition, it has a smaller lumen diameter, which results in reduced permeability. Therefore, reaction wood is more difficult to dry at a certain moisture content. The differences in the drying times of the reaction wood and the normal wood were largest at a temperature of 60 °C and durations greater than 30 h, and the reaction wood dried more slowly. At a temperature of 120 °C, the differences in drying time were minimalized, and drying end times were almost identical. The expected negative effect of higher temperature on the morphology of reaction wood and opposition wood was not confirmed.

Transcriptomics and Proteomics Reveal the Cellulose and Pectin Metabolic Processes in the Tension Wood (Non-G-Layer) of Catalpa bungei

Catalpa bungei is an economically important tree with high-quality wood and highly valuable to the study of wood formation. In this work, the xylem microstructure of C. bungei tension wood (TW) was observed, and we performed transcriptomics, proteomics and Raman spectroscopy of TW, opposite wood (OW) and normal wood (NW). The results showed that there was no obvious gelatinous layer (G-layer) in the TW of C. bungei and that the secondary wall deposition in the TW was reduced compared with that in the OW and NW. We found that most of the differentially expressed mRNAs and proteins were involved in carbohydrate polysaccharide synthesis. Raman spectroscopy results indicated that the cellulose and pectin content and pectin methylation in the TW were lower than those in the OW and NW, and many genes and proteins involved in the metabolic pathways of cellulose and pectin, such as galacturonosyltransferase (GAUT), polygalacturonase (PG), endoglucanase (CLE) and β-glucosidase (BGLU) genes, were significantly upregulated in TW. In addition, we found that the MYB2 transcription factor may regulate the pectin degradation genes PG1 and PG3, and ARF, ERF, SBP and MYB1 may be the key transcription factors regulating the synthesis and decomposition of cellulose. In contrast to previous studies on TW with a G-layer, our results revealed a change in metabolism in TW without a G-layer, and we inferred that the change in the pectin type, esterification and cellulose characteristics in the TW of C. bungei may contribute to high tensile stress. These results will enrich the understanding of the mechanism of TW formation.

Cross-field pitting characteristics of compression, lateral, and opposite wood in the stem wood of Ginkgo biloba and Pinus densiflora

The characteristics of cross-field pitting among compression wood, lateral wood, and opposite wood, in the stem woods of Ginkgo biloba and Pinus densiflora were investigated with optical and scanning electron microscopy. In Ginkgo biloba, compression wood exhibited piceoid pits, while lateral and opposite wood exhibited cupressoid pits. The compression wood of Pinus densiflora exhibited cupressoid pits and piceoid pits, while lateral wood and opposite wood exhibited pinoid and window-like pits in the cross-field. In both species, compression wood yielded the smallest pit number among each part, while opposite wood yielded the greatest pit number per cross-field. Cross-field pitting diameters of compression wood and opposite wood were significantly smaller than lateral wood in Ginkgo biloba, while the cross-field pitting of compression wood was the smallest in Pinus densiflora. Radial tracheid diameter of compression wood was slightly smaller than lateral and opposite wood in Ginkgo biloba and significantly smaller than lateral and opposite wood in Pinus densiflora. In conclusion, the cross-field pitting type, pit number, and cross-field pitting diameter could be used to identify reaction wood in the stem wood of Ginkgo biloba and Pinus densiflora.

Influence of the p-hydroxyphenyl/guaiacyl ratio on the biphenyl and β-5 contents in compression wood lignins

Reaction woods of three softwoods, Pinus merkusii, Cryptomeria japonica and Cedrus deodara, were investigated by alkaline nitrobenzene oxidation (NBO) to characterize the condensed-type structures in compression wood lignins. A novel biphenyl-type NBO product carrying guaiacyl (G)- and p-hydroxyphenyl (H)-units, dehydrovanillin-p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (HG-biphenyl product), was identified using the authentic standard compound. On the basis of the yield of this novel NBO product, as well as those of GG-biphenyl-, β-5-, and uncondensed-type products [e.g. dehydrodivanillin, 5-formylvanillin, vanillin and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde], the compression wood lignins contained more HG-type biphenyl and H-type β-5 structures than the opposite wood lignins. The increase in the condensed-type structure content was largely offset by the decreases in the content of GG-biphenyl and G-type β-5 structures. Consequently, the relative yields of biphenyl, β-5 and uncondensed-type NBO products were very similar between the compression wood and the opposite wood, even though the H-unit having no methoxy group on its aromatic ring can be assumed to have a greater probability to form condensed-type structures during lignin biosynthesis than the G-unit.

Genome-wide analysis of the Catalpa bungei caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene family: identification and expression profiles in normal, tension, and opposite wood

Caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT) is an important protein that participates in lignin synthesis and is associated with the ratio of G-/S-type lignin in plants. COMTs are associated with the wood properties of forest trees; however, little known about the COMT family in Catalpa bungei, a valuable timber tree species in China . We performed a comprehensive analysis of COMT genes in the C. bungei genome by describing the gene structure and phylogenetic relationships of each family member using bioinformatics-based methods. A total of 23 putative COMT genes were identified using the conserved domain sequences and amino acid sequences of COMTs from Arabidopsis thaliana and Populus trichocarpa as probes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that 23 CbuCOMTs can be divided into three groups based on their structural characteristics; five conserved domains were found in the COMT family. Promoter analysis indicated that the CbuCOMT promoters included various cis-acting elements related to growth and development. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis showed differential expression among CbuCOMTs. CbuCOMT2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 21, and 23 were mainly expressed in xylem. Only CbuCOMT23 was significantly downregulated in tension wood and upregulated in opposite wood compared to normal wood. Our study provides new information about the CbuCOMT gene family and will facilitate functional characterisation in further research.

Strength and stiffness of the reaction wood in five Eucalyptus species

Tree stems deviating from the vertical position react by the formation of tension wood (TW) or compression wood (CW), which are called in general as reaction wood (RW), in which the cells are modified chemically and anatomically. The focus of the present work is the mechanical behavior of TW in five 37-year-oldEucalyptusspecies, which were grown on a planting area with an average slope of 28% leading to decentralized pith in the trees, which is an unequivocal indication of the presence of RW. TW and opposite wood (OW) samples were isolated and subjected to a compression-parallel-to-grain test. It was observed that TW is less resistant and less stiff than the OW.