Abnormal lignin in a loblolly pine mutant.
Novel lignin is formed in a mutant loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) severely depleted in cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (E.C. 1.1.1.195), which converts coniferaldehyde to coniferyl alcohol, the primary lignin precursor in pines. Dihydroconiferyl alcohol, a monomer not normally associated with the lignin biosynthetic pathway, is the major component of the mutant's lignin, accounting for approximately 30 percent (versus approximately 3 percent in normal pine) of the units. The level of aldehydes, including new 2-methoxybenzaldehydes, is also increased. The mutant pines grew normally indicating that, even within a species, extensive variations in lignin composition need not disrupt the essential functions of lignin.
Ralph
J
J
U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Madison, WI 53706-1108, USA. jralph@facstaff.wisc.edu
MacKay
J J
JJ
Hatfield
R D
RD
O'Malley
D M
DM
Whetten
R W
RW
Sederoff
R R
RR
D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000447:Aldehydes / Q000032:analysis; D008031:Lignin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D009154:Mutation; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D041603:Pinus taeda; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D000447:Aldehydes; D010636:Phenols; D010940:Plant Proteins; C106832:dihydroconiferyl alcohol; D008031:Lignin; D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases; C018656:cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase