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Plant vasculature transports molecules that play a crucial role in plant signaling including systemic responses and acclimation to diverse environmental conditions. Targeted controlled delivery of molecules to the vascular tissue can be a biomimetic way to induce long distance responses, providing a new tool for the fundamental studies and engineering of stress‐tolerant plants. Here, a flexible organic electronic ion pump, an electrophoretic delivery device, for controlled delivery of phytohormones directly in plant vascular tissue is developed. The c‐OEIP is based on polyimide‐coated glass capillaries that significantly enhance the mechanical robustness of these microscale devices while being minimally disruptive for the plant. The polyelectrolyte channel is based on low‐cost and commercially available precursors that can be photocured with blue light, establishing much cheaper and safer system than the state‐of‐the‐art. To trigger OEIP‐induced plant response, the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) in the petiole of intact Arabidopsis plants is delivered. ABA is one of the main phytohormones involved in plant stress responses and induces stomata closure under drought conditions to reduce water loss and prevent wilting. The OEIP‐mediated ABA delivery triggered fast and long‐lasting stomata closure far away from the delivery point demonstrating systemic vascular transport of the delivered ABA, verified delivering deuterium‐labeled ABA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose nanofibrils can be derived from the native load-bearing cellulose microfibrils in wood. These microfibrils are synthesized by a cellulose synthase enzyme complex that resides in the plasma membrane of developing wood cells. It was previously shown that transgenic hybrid aspen trees with reduced expression of CSI1 have different wood mechanics and cellulose microfibril properties. We hypothesized that these changes in the native cellulose may affect the quality of the corresponding nanofibrils. To test this hypothesis, wood from wild-type and transgenic trees with reduced expression of CSI1 was subjected to oxidative nanofibril isolation. The transgenic wood-extracted nanofibrils exhibited a significantly lower suspension viscosity and estimated surface area than the wild-type nanofibrils. Furthermore, the nanofibril networks manufactured from the transgenics exhibited high stiffness, as well as reduced water uptake, tensile strength, strain-to-break, and degree of polymerization. Presumably, the difference in wood properties caused by the decreased expression of CSI1 resulted in nanofibrils with distinctive qualities. The observed changes in the physicochemical properties suggest that the differences were caused by changes in the apparent nanofibril aspect ratio and surface accessibility. This study demonstrates the possibility of influencing wood-derived nanofibril quality through the genetic engineering of trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Biosynthesis of plant cell walls requires UDP‐glucose as the substrate for cellulose biosynthesis, and as an intermediate for the synthesis of other matrix polysaccharides. The sucrose cleaving enzyme sucrose synthase (SUS) is thought to have a central role in UDP‐glucose biosynthesis, and a long‐held and much debated hypothesis postulates that SUS is required to supply UDP‐glucose to cellulose biosynthesis. To investigate the role of SUS in cellulose biosynthesis of Arabidopsis thaliana we characterized mutants in which four or all six Arabidopsis SUS genes were disrupted. These sus mutants showed no growth phenotypes, vascular tissue cell wall defects, or changes in cellulose content. Moreover, the UDP‐glucose content of rosette leaves of the sextuple sus mutants was increased by approximately 20% compared with wild type. It can thus be concluded that cellulose biosynthesis is able to employ alternative UDP‐glucose biosynthesis pathway(s), and thereby the model of SUS requirements for cellulose biosynthesis in Arabidopsis can be refuted. Significance Statement: Many models of cellulose biosynthesis in plants imply that sucrose synthase channels the substrate UDP‐glucose to the plasma membrane localized cellulose synthase complex. Here we used sextuple Arabidopsis mutants devoid of sucrose synthase activity to test this hypothesis directly. The results show that sucrose synthase is not required for cellulose biosynthesis in Arabidopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Cellulose is the main structural component in the plant cell walls. We show that two glycosyltransferase family 31 (GT31) enzymes of Arabidopsis thaliana, here named cellulose synthesis associated glycosyltransferases 1 and 2 (CAGE1 and 2), influence both primary and secondary cell wall cellulose biosynthesis. cage1cage2 mutants show primary cell wall defects manifesting as impaired growth and cell expansion in seedlings and etiolated hypocotyls, along with secondary cell wall defects, apparent as collapsed xylem vessels and reduced xylem wall thickness in the inflorescence stem. Single and double cage mutants also show increased sensitivity to the cellulose biosynthesis inhibitor isoxaben. The cage1cage2 phenotypes were associated with an approximately 30% reduction in cellulose content, an approximately 50% reduction in secondary cell wall CELLULOSE SYNTHASE (CESA) protein levels in stems and reduced cellulose biosynthesis rate in seedlings. CESA transcript levels were not significantly altered in cage1cage2 mutants, suggesting that the reduction in CESA levels was caused by a post‐transcriptional mechanism. Both CAGE1 and 2 localize to the Golgi apparatus and are predicted to synthesize β‐1,3‐galactans on arabinogalactan proteins. In line with this, the cage1cage2 mutants exhibit reduced levels of β‐Yariv binding to arabinogalactan protein linked β‐1,3‐galactan. This leads us to hypothesize that defects in arabinogalactan biosynthesis underlie the cellulose deficiency of the mutants. Significance Statement: Cellulose, the main component of plant cell walls, is synthesized at the plasma membrane by a multiprotein complex with cellulose synthase enzymes at its core. Here, we show that two Golgi localized glycosyltransferase enzymes are indirectly involved in cellulose biosynthesis, likely by acting on the synthesis of glycans on arabinogalactan proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants constitute 80% of the biomass on earth, and almost two-thirds of this biomass is found in wood. Wood formation is a carbon (C)-demanding process and relies on C transport from photosynthetic tissues. Thus, understanding the transport process is of major interest for understanding terrestrial biomass formation. Here, we review the molecules and mechanisms used to transport and allocate C in trees. Sucrose is the major form in which C is transported in plants, and it is found in the phloem sap of all tree species investigated so far. However, in several tree species, sucrose is accompanied by other molecules, notably polyols and the raffinose family of oligosaccharides. We describe the molecules that constitute each of these transport groups, and their distribution across different tree species. Furthermore, we detail the metabolic reactions for their synthesis, the mechanisms by which trees load and unload these compounds in and out of the vascular system, and how they are radially transported in the trunk and finally catabolized during wood formation. We also address a particular C recirculation process between phloem and xylem that occurs in trees during the annual cycle of growth and dormancy. A search of possible evolutionary drivers behind the diversity of C-carrying molecules in trees reveals no consistent differences in C transport mechanisms between angiosperm and gymnosperm trees. Furthermore, the distribution of C forms across species suggests that climate-related environmental factors will not explain the diversity of C transport forms. However, the consideration of C-transport mechanisms in relation to tree–rhizosphere coevolution deserves further attention. To conclude the review, we identify possible future lines of research in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) are top-down nanomaterials obtainable from abundant lignocelluloses. Despite recent advances in processing technologies, the effects of variations in the lignocellulose structure and composition on CNF isolation and properties are poorly understood. In this study, we compared the isolation of CNFs from tension wood (TW) and normal wood (NW) from Populus tremula (aspen). The TW has a higher cellulose content, native cellulose fibrils with a larger crystalline diameter, and less lignin than the NW, making it an interesting material for CNF isolation. The wood powders were oxidized directly by 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl, and the morphology and mechanical behaviors of the nanofibril suspensions and networks were characterized. The TW was more difficult to fibrillate by both chemical and mechanical means. Larger nanofibrils (5–10 nm) composed of 1.2 nm structures were present in the TW CNFs, whereas the NW samples contained more of thin (1.6 nm) structures, which also comprised 77% of the solid yield compared to the 33% for TW. This difference was reflected in the TW CNF networks as decreased transmittance (15% vs. 50%), higher degree of crystallinity (85.9% vs. 78.0%), doubled toughness (11 MJ/m3) and higher elongation at break (12%) compared to NW. The difference was ascribed to greater preservation of the hierarchical, more crystalline microfibril structure, combined with a more cellulose-rich network (84% vs. 70%). This knowledge of the processing, structure, and properties of CNFs can facilitate the breeding and design of wood feedstocks to meet the increasing demand for nanoscale renewable materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Despite the ecological and industrial importance of biomass accumulation in wood, the control of carbon (C) allocation to this tissue and to other tree tissues remain poorly understood.We studied sucrose synthase (SUS) to clarify its role in biomass formation and C metabolism at the whole tree level in hybrid aspen (Populus tremula × tremuloides). To this end, we analysed source leaves, phloem, developing wood, and roots of SUSRNAi trees using a combination of metabolite profiling, 13CO2 pulse labelling experiments, and long‐term field experiments.The glasshouse grown SUSRNAi trees exhibited a mild stem phenotype together with a reduction in wood total C. The 13CO2 pulse labelling experiments showed an alteration in the C flow in all the analysed tissues, indicating that SUS affects C metabolism at the whole tree level. This was confirmed when the SUSRNAi trees were grown in the field over a 5‐yr period; their stem height, diameter and biomass were substantially reduced.These results establish that SUS influences C allocation to developing wood, and that it affects C metabolism at the whole tree level. See also the Commentary on this article by Gessler, 229: 8–10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant cell wall associated hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins (HRGPs) are involved in several aspects of plant growth and development, including wood formation in trees. HRGPs such as arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs), extensins (EXTs), and proline rich proteins (PRPs) are important for the development and architecture of plant cell walls. Analysis of publicly available gene expression data revealed that many HRGP encoding genes show tight spatio-temporal expression patterns in the developing wood of Populus that are indicative of specific functions during wood formation. Similar results were obtained for the expression of glycosyl transferases putatively involved in HRGP glycosylation. In situ immunolabelling of transverse wood sections using AGP and EXT antibodies revealed the cell type specificity of different epitopes. In mature wood AGP epitopes were located in xylem ray cell walls, whereas EXT epitopes were specifically observed between neighboring xylem vessels, and on the ray cell side of the vessel walls, likely in association with pits. Molecular mass and glycan analysis of AGPs and EXTs in phloem/cambium, developing xylem, and mature xylem revealed clear differences in glycan structures and size between the tissues. Separation of AGPs by agarose gel electrophoresis and staining with β-D-glucosyl Yariv confirmed the presence of different AGP populations in phloem/cambium and xylem. These results reveal the diverse changes in HRGP-related processes that occur during wood formation at the gene expression and HRGP glycan biosynthesis levels, and relate HRGPs and glycosylation processes to the developmental processes of wood formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Wood, or secondary xylem, is the product of xylogenesis, a developmental process that begins with the proliferation of cambial derivatives and ends with mature xylem fibers and vessels with lignified secondary cell walls. Fully mature xylem has undergone a series of cellular processes, including cell division, cell expansion, secondary wall formation, lignification and programmed cell death. A complex network of interactions between transcriptional regulators and signal transduction pathways controls wood formation. However, the role of metabolites during this developmental process has not been comprehensively characterized.To evaluate the role of metabolites during wood formation, we performed a high spatial resolution metabolomics study of the wood‐forming zone of Populus tremula, including laser dissected aspen ray and fiber cells.We show that metabolites show specific patterns within the wood‐forming zone, following the differentiation process from cell division to cell death.The data from profiled laser dissected aspen ray and fiber cells suggests that these two cell types host distinctly different metabolic processes. Furthermore, by integrating previously published transcriptomic and proteomic profiles generated from the same trees, we provide an integrative picture of molecular processes, for example, deamination of phenylalanine during lignification is of critical importance for nitrogen metabolism during wood formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Cellulose microfibrils synthesized by CELLULOSE SYNTHASE COMPLEXES (CSCs) are the main load‐bearing polymers in wood. CELLULOSE SYNTHASE INTERACTING1 (CSI1) connects CSCs with cortical microtubules, which align with cellulose microfibrils. Mechanical properties of wood are dependent on cellulose microfibril alignment and structure in the cell walls, but the molecular mechanism(s) defining these features is unknown. Herein, we investigated the role of CSI1 in hybrid aspen (Populus tremula × Populus tremuloides) by characterizing transgenic lines with significantly reduced CSI1 transcript abundance. Reduction in leaves (50–80%) caused leaf twisting and misshaped pavement cells, while reduction (70–90%) in developing xylem led to impaired mechanical wood properties evident as a decrease in the elastic modulus and rupture. X‐ray diffraction measurements indicate that microfibril angle was not impacted by the altered CSI1 abundance in developing wood fibres. Instead, the augmented wood phenotype of the transgenic trees was associated with a reduced cellulose degree of polymerization. These findings establish a function for CSI1 in wood mechanics and in defining leaf cell shape. Furthermore, the results imply that the microfibril angle in wood is defined by CSI1 independent mechanism(s). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The link between wood and corresponding cellulose nanofiber (CNF) behavior is complex owing the multiple chemical pretreatments required for successful preparation. In this study we apply a few pretreatments on aspen wood and compare the final CNF behavior in order to rationalize quantitative studies of CNFs derived from aspen wood with variable properties. This is relevant for efforts to improve the properties of woody biomass through tree breeding. Three different types of pretreatments were applied prior to disintegration (microfluidizer) after a mild pulping step; derivatizing TEMPO-oxidation, carboxymethylation and non-derivatizing soaking in deep-eutectic solvents. TEMPO-oxidation was also performed directly on the plain wood powder without pulping. Obtained CNFs (44–55% yield) had hemicellulose content between 8 and 26 wt% and were characterized primarily by fine (height ≈ 2 nm) and coarser (2 nm < height < 100 nm) grade CNFs from the derivatizing and non-derivatizing treatments, respectively. Nanopapers from non-derivatized CNFs had higher thermal stability (280 °C) compared to carboxymethylated (260 °C) and TEMPO-oxidized (220 °C). Stiffness of nanopapers made from non-derivatized treatments was higher whilst having less tensile strength and elongation-at-break than those made from derivatized CNFs. The direct TEMPO-oxidized CNFs and nanopapers were furthermore morphologically and mechanically indistinguishable from those that also underwent a pulping step. The results show that utilizing both derivatizing and non-derivatizing pretreatments can facilitate studies of the relationship between wood properties and final CNF behavior. This can be valuable when studying engineered trees for the purpose of decreasing resource consumption when isolation cellulose nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Norway spruce is a boreal forest tree species of significant ecological and economic importance. Hence there is a strong imperative to dissect the genetics underlying important wood quality traits in the species. We performed a functional genome‐wide association study (GWAS) of 17 wood traits in Norway spruce using 178 101 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) generated from exome genotyping of 517 mother trees. The wood traits were defined using functional modelling of wood properties across annual growth rings. We applied a Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO‐based) association mapping method using a functional multilocus mapping approach that utilizes latent traits, with a stability selection probability method as the hypothesis testing approach to determine a significant quantitative trait locus. The analysis provided 52 significant SNPs from 39 candidate genes, including genes previously implicated in wood formation and tree growth in spruce and other species. Our study represents a multilocus GWAS for complex wood traits in Norway spruce. The results advance our understanding of the genetics influencing wood traits and identifies candidate genes for future functional studies. Significance Statement: Wood provides both structural support and a transport route for water and solutes in trees. Our work provides a framework to dissect the genetic nature of wood formation and adds to our understanding of tree growth and development. With the current research focus on wood cell wall biosynthesis in general, and lignocellulose feedstock for biorefineries, we believe that this contribution will be of wide interest for the plant science community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood biosynthesis defines the chemical and structural properties of wood. The metabolic pathways that produce the precursors of wood cell wall polymers have a central role in defining wood properties. To make rational design of wood properties feasible, we need not only to understand the cell wall biosynthetic machinery, but also how sucrose transport and metabolism in developing wood connect to cell wall biosynthesis and how they respond to genetic and environmental cues. Here, we review the current understanding of the sucrose transport and primary metabolism pathways leading to the precursors of cell wall biosynthesis in woody plant tissues. We present both old, persistent questions and new emerging themes with a focus on wood formation in trees and draw upon evidence from the xylem tissues of herbaceous plants when it is relevant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution of transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation to modifying carbon allocation to developing wood of trees is not well defined. To clarify the role of transcriptional regulation, the enzyme activity patterns of eight central primary metabolism enzymes across phloem, cambium, and developing wood of aspen (Populus tremula L.) were compared with transcript levels obtained by RNA sequencing of sequential stem sections from the same trees. Enzymes were selected on the basis of their importance in sugar metabolism and in linking primary metabolism to lignin biosynthesis. Existing enzyme assays were adapted to allow measurements from ~1 mm3 sections of dissected stem tissue. These experiments provided high spatial resolution of enzyme activity changes across different stages of wood development, and identified the gene transcripts probably responsible for these changes. In most cases, there was a clear positive relationship between transcripts and enzyme activity. During secondary cell wall formation, the increases in transcript levels and enzyme activities also matched with increased levels of glucose, fructose, hexose phosphates, and UDP-glucose, emphasizing an important role for transcriptional regulation in carbon allocation to developing aspen wood. These observations corroborate the efforts to increase carbon allocation to wood by engineering gene regulatory networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon for cellulose biosynthesis is derived from sucrose. Cellulose is synthesized from uridine 5′-diphosphoglucose ( UDP-glucose), but the enzyme(s) responsible for the initial sucrose cleavage and the source of UDP-glucose for cellulose biosynthesis in developing wood have not been defined., We investigated the role of CYTOSOLIC INVERTASEs ( CINs) during wood formation in hybrid aspen ( Populus tremula × tremuloides) and characterized transgenic lines with reduced CIN activity during secondary cell wall biosynthesis., Suppression of CIN activity by 38-55% led to a 9-13% reduction in crystalline cellulose. The changes in cellulose were reflected in reduced diameter of acid-insoluble cellulose microfibrils and increased glucose release from wood upon enzymatic digestion of cellulose. Reduced CIN activity decreased the amount of the cellulose biosynthesis precursor UDP-glucose in developing wood, pointing to the likely cause of the cellulose phenotype., The findings suggest that CIN activity has an important role in the cellulose biosynthesis of trees, and indicate that cellulose biosynthesis in wood relies on a quantifiable UDP-glucose pool. The results also introduce a concept of altering cellulose microfibril properties by modifying substrate supply to cellulose biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser capture microdissection (LCM) enables precise dissection and collection of individual cell types from complex tissues. When applied to plant cells, and especially to woody tissues, LCM requires extensive optimization to overcome such factors as rigid cell walls, large central vacuoles, intercellular spaces, and technical issues with thickness and flatness of the sections. Here we present an optimized protocol for the laser-assisted microdissection of developing xylem from mature trees: a gymnosperm (Norway spruce, Picea abies) and an angiosperm (aspen, Populus tremula) tree. Different cell types of spruce and aspen wood (i.e., ray cells, tracheary elements, and fibers) were successfully microdissected from tangential, cross and radial cryosections of the current year's growth ring. Two approaches were applied to achieve satisfactory flatness and anatomical integrity of the spruce and aspen specimens. The commonly used membrane slides were ineffective as a mounting surface for the wood cryosections. Instead, in the present protocol we use glass slides, and introduce a glass slide sandwich assembly for the preparation of aspen sections. To ascertain that not only the anatomical integrity of the plant tissue, but also the molecular features were not compromised during the whole LCM procedure, good quality total RNA could be extracted from the microdissected cells. This showed the efficiency of the protocol and established that our methodology can be integrated in transcriptome analyses to elucidate cell-specific molecular events regulating wood formation in trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood of trees is formed from carbon assimilated in the photosynthetic tissues. Determining the temporal dynamics of carbon assimilation, subsequent transport into developing wood, and incorporation to cell walls would further our understanding of wood formation in particular and tree growth in general. To investigate these questions, we designed a 13CO2 labeling system to study carbon transport and incorporation to developing wood of hybrid aspen (Populus tremula x tremuloides). Tracking of 13C incorporation to wood over a time course using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed diurnal patterns in wood cell wall biosynthesis. The dark period had a differential effect on 13C incorporation to lignin and cell wall carbohydrates. No 13C was incorporated into aromatic amino acids of cell wall proteins in the dark, suggesting that cell wall protein biosynthesis ceased during the night. The results show previously unrecognized temporal patterns in wood cell wall biosynthesis, suggest diurnal cycle as a possible cue in the regulation of carbon incorporation to wood, and establish a unique 13C labeling method for the analysis of wood formation and secondary growth in trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In paramutation, epigenetic information is transferred from one allele to another to create a gene expression state which is stably inherited over generations. Typically, paramutation describes a phenomenon where one allele of a gene downregulates the expression of another allele. Paramutation has been described in several eukaryotes and is best understood in plants. Here we describe an unexpected paramutation-like trans SALK T-DNA interaction in Arabidopsis. Unlike most of the previously described paramutations, which led to gene silencing, the trans SALK T-DNA interaction caused an increase in the transcript levels of the endogenous gene (COBRA) where the T-DNA was inserted. This increased COBRA expression state was stably inherited for several generations and led to the partial suppression of the cobra phenotype. DNA methylation was implicated in this trans SALK T-DNA interaction since mutation of the DNA methyltransferase 1 in the suppressed cobra caused a reversal of the suppression. In addition, null mutants of the DNA demethylase ROS1 caused a similar COBRA transcript increase in the cobra SALK T-DNA mutant as the trans T-DNA interaction. Our results provide a new example of a paramutation-like trans T-DNA interaction in Arabidopsis, and establish a convenient hypocotyl elongation assay to study this phenomenon. The results also alert to the possibility of unexpected endogenous transcript increase when two T-DNAs are combined in the same genetic background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sucrose is the main transported form of carbon in several plant species, including Populus species. Sucrose metabolism in developing wood has therefore a central role in carbon partitioning to stem biomass. Half of the sucrose-derived carbon is in the form of fructose, but metabolism of fructose has received little attention as a factor in carbon partitioning to walls of wood cells. We show that RNAi-mediated reduction of FRK2 activity in developing wood of hybrid aspen ( Populus tremula × tremuloides) led to the accumulation of soluble neutral sugars and a decrease in hexose phosphates and UDP-glucose, indicating that carbon flux to cell-wall polysaccharide precursors is decreased. Reduced FRK2 activity also led to thinner fiber cell walls with a reduction in the proportion of cellulose. No pleiotropic effects on stem height or diameter were observed. The results establish a central role for FRK2 activity in carbon flux to wood cellulose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood from field-grown poplars with different genotypes and varying lignin content (17.4 wt % to 30.0 wt %) were subjected to one-pot 2,2,6,6-Tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl catalyzed oxidation and high-pressure homogenization in order to investigate nanofibrillation following simultaneous delignification and cellulose oxidation. When comparing low and high lignin wood it was found that the high lignin wood was more easily fibrillated as indicated by a higher nanofibril yield (68% and 45%) and suspension viscosity (27 and 15 mPa·s). The nanofibrils were monodisperse with diameter ranging between 1.2 and 2.0 nm as measured using atomic force microscopy. Slightly less cellulose oxidation (0.44 and 0.68 mmol·g−1) together with a reduced process yield (36% and 44%) was also found which showed that the removal of a larger amount of lignin increased the efficiency of the homogenization step despite slightly reduced oxidation of the nanofibril surfaces. The surface area of oxidized high lignin wood was also higher than low lignin wood (114 m2·g−1 and 76 m2·g−1) which implicates porosity as a factor that can influence cellulose nanofibril isolation from wood in a beneficial manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sugar phosphates are important intermediates of central carbon metabolism in biological systems, with roles in glycolysis, the pentose–phosphate pathway, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and many other biosynthesis pathways. Understanding central carbon metabolism requires a simple, robust and comprehensive analytical method. However, sugar phosphates are notoriously difficult to analyze by traditional reversed phase liquid chromatography. Results: Here, we show a two-step derivatization of sugar phosphates by methoxylamine and propionic acid anhydride after chloroform/methanol (3:7) extraction from Populus leaf and developing wood that improves separation, identification and quantification of sugar phosphates by ultra high performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–mass spectrometry (UHPLC–ESI–MS). Standard curves of authentic sugar phosphates were generated for concentrations from pg to ng/μl with a correlation coefficient R2 > 0.99. The method showed high sensitivity and repeatability with relative standard deviation (RSD) < 20% based on repeated extraction, derivatization and detection. The analytical accuracy for Populus leaf extracts, determined by a two-level spiking approach of selected metabolites, was 79–107%. Conclusion: The results show the reliability of combined reversed phase liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry for sugar phosphate analysis and demonstrate the presence of two unknown sugar phosphates in Populus extracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article " Spatially resolved metabolic analysis reveals a central role for transcriptional control in carbon allocation to wood" is presented.