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Lignification in the flax stem: evidence for an unusual lignin in bast fibers

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Abstract

In the context of our research on cell wall formation and maturation in flax (Linum usitatissimum L) bast fibers, we (1) confirmed the presence of lignin in bast fibers and (2) quantified and characterized the chemical nature of this lignin at two developmental stages. Histochemical methods (Weisner and Maüle reagents and KMnO4-staining) indicating the presence of lignin in bast fibers at the light and electron microscope levels were confirmed by chemical analyses (acetyl bromide). In general, the lignin content in flax bast fibers varied between 1.5% and 4.2% of the dry cell wall residues (CWRs) as compared to values varying between 23.7% and 31.4% in flax xylem tissues. Immunological and chemical analyses (thioacidolysis and nitrobenzene oxidation) indicated that both flax xylem- and bast fiber-lignins were rich in guaiacyl (G) units with S/G values inferior to 0.5. In bast fibers, the highly sensitive immunological probes allowed the detection of condensed guaiacyl-type (G) lignins in the middle lamella, cell wall junctions, and in the S1 layer of the secondary wall. In addition, lower quantities of mixed guaiacyl–syringyl (GS) lignins could be detected throughout the secondary cell wall. Chemical analyses suggested that flax bast-fiber lignin is more condensed than the corresponding xylem lignin. In addition, H units represented up to 25% of the monomers released from bast-fiber lignin as opposed to a value of 1% for the corresponding xylem tissue. Such an observation indicates that the structure of flax bast-fiber lignin is significantly different from that of the more typical ‘woody plant lignin’, thereby suggesting that flax bast fibers represent an interesting system for studying an unusual lignification process.

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Abbreviations

AGP:

Arabinogalactan protein

CWR:

Cell wall residue

G:

Guaiacyl unit

GRP:

Glycine-rich protein

H:

p-hydroxyphenyl unit

HPLC:

High pressure liquid chromatography

S:

Syringyl unit

TEM:

Transmission electron microscopy

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank M. François Bert (Institut Technique de Lin, Paris) for his professional advice on Flax plants. A. Day thanks the Regions Champagne-Ardennes and Nord-Pas de Calais for financial support. This work was carried out in the context of the Regional Project ‘Etude de la modulation de la cohésion intercellulaire chez le lin’.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Physiologie des Parois Végétales, UPRES EA 3568-USC-INRA, UFR de Biologie, USTL, 59655, Villeneuve d’Ascq cedex, France

    Arnaud Day, Godfrey Neutelings, Hélène David & Simon Hawkins

  2. INRA Parois Végétales et Matériaux Fibreux, UMR FARE, BP 224, 51686, Reims, France

    Arnaud Day, David Crônier & Brigitte Chabbert

  3. Centre de Recherches sur les Macromolécules Végétales, UPR 5301 - CNRS, BP 53, 38041, Grenoble Cedex 9, France

    Katia Ruel

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  1. Arnaud Day
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  2. Katia Ruel
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  5. Hélène David
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  6. Simon Hawkins
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  7. Brigitte Chabbert
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Correspondence to Brigitte Chabbert.

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Day, A., Ruel, K., Neutelings, G. et al. Lignification in the flax stem: evidence for an unusual lignin in bast fibers. Planta 222, 234–245 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-005-1537-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-005-1537-1

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