The constitution of the cambium, the new wood and the mature sapwood of the common ash, the common elm and the Scotch pine

Synthesis and Characterization of Lignin Hydrogels for Potential Applications as Drug Eluting Antimicrobial Coatings for Medical Materials

Lignin is the second most abundant biopolymer on the planet. It is a biocompatible, cheap, environmentally friendly and readily accessible material. It has been reported that these biomacromolecules have antimicrobial activities. Consequently, lignin (LIG) has the potential to be used for biomedical applications. In the present work, a simple method to prepare lignin-based hydrogels is described. The hydrogels were prepared by combining LIG with poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(methyl vinyl ether-co-maleic acid) through an esterification reaction. The synthesis took place in the solid state and can be accelerated significantly (24 vs 1 h) by the use of microwave (MW) radiation. The prepared hydrogels were characterized by evaluation of their swelling capacities and with the use of infrared spectroscopy/solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance. The prepared hydrogels showed LIG contents ranging between 40% and 24% and water uptake capabilities up to 500%. Furthermore, the hydrophobic nature of LIG facilitated loading of a model hydrophobic drug (curcumin). The hydrogels were capable of sustaining the delivery of this compound for up to 4 days. Finally, the materials demonstrated logarithmic reductions in adherence of Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus mirabilis of up to 5.0 relative to the commonly employed medical material poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC).

Transcriptome characteristics and six alternative expressed genes positively correlated with the phase transition of annual cambial activities in Chinese Fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook)

Background

The molecular mechanisms that govern cambial activity in angiosperms are well established, but little is known about these molecular mechanisms in gymnosperms. Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook), a diploid (2n  = 2x  = 22) gymnosperm, is one of the most important industrial and commercial timber species in China. Here, we performed transcriptome sequencing to identify the repertoire of genes expressed in cambium tissue of Chinese fir.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Based on previous studies, the four stage-specific cambial tissues of Chinese fir were defined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In total, 20 million sequencing reads (3.6 Gb) were obtained using Illumina sequencing from Chinese fir cambium tissue collected at active growth stage, with a mean length of 131 bp and a N50 of 90 bp. SOAPdenovo software was used to assemble 62,895 unigenes. These unigenes were further functionally annotated by comparing their sequences to public protein databases. Expression analysis revealed that the altered expression of six homologous genes (ClWOX1, ClWOX4, ClCLV1-like, ClCLV-like, ClCLE12, and ClPIN1-like) correlated positively with changes in cambial activities; moreover, these six genes might be directly involved in cambial function in Chinese fir. Further, the full-length cDNAs and DNAs for ClWOX1 and ClWOX4 were cloned and analyzed.

Conclusions

In this study, a large number of tissue/stage-specific unigene sequences were generated from the active growth stage of Chinese fir cambium. Transcriptome sequencing of Chinese fir not only provides extensive genetic resources for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying cambial activities in Chinese fir, but also is expected to be an important foundation for future genetic studies of Chinese fir. This study indicates that ClWOX1 and ClWOX4 could be possible reverse genetic target genes for revealing the molecular mechanisms of cambial activities in Chinese fir.

Synthetic xylan-binding modules for mapping of pulp fibres and wood sections

BACKGROUND

The complex carbohydrate composition of natural and refined plant material is not known in detail but a matter that is of both basic and applied importance. Qualitative assessment of complex samples like plant and wood tissues requires the availability of a range of specific probes. Monoclonal antibodies and naturally existing carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs) have been used in the past to assess the presence of certain carbohydrates in plant tissues. However, the number of natural CBMs is limited and development of carbohydrate-specific antibodies is not always straightforward. We envisage the use of sets of very similar proteins specific for defined targets, like those developed by molecular evolution of a single CBM scaffold, as a suitable strategy to assess carbohydrate composition. An advantage of using synthetic CBMs lies in the possibility to study fine details of carbohydrate composition within non-uniform substrates like plant cell walls as made possible through minor differences in CBM specificity of the variety of binders that can be developed by genetic engineering.

RESULTS

A panel of synthetic xylan-binding CBMs, previously selected from a molecular library based on the scaffold of CBM4-2 from xylanase Xyn10A of Rhodothermus marinus, was used in this study. The wild type CBM4-2 and evolved modules both showed binding to wood sections. However, differences were observed in the staining patterns suggesting that these modules have different xylan-binding properties. Also the staining stability varied between the CBMs, the most stable staining being obtained with one (X-2) of the synthetic modules. Treatment of wood materials resulted in altered signal intensities, thereby also demonstrating the potential application of engineered CBMs as analytical tools for quality assessment of diverse plant material processes.

CONCLUSION

In this study we have demonstrated the usefulness of synthetic xylan-binding modules as specific probes in analysis of hemicelluloses (xylan) in wood and fibre materials.

Analysis of the Surfaces of Wood Tissues and Pulp Fibers Using Carbohydrate-Binding Modules Specific for Crystalline Cellulose and Mannan

Carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs) are noncatalytic substrate binding domains of many enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Here we used fluorescent labeled recombinant CBMs specific for crystalline cellulose (CBM1(HjCel7A)) and mannans (CBM27(TmMan5) and CBM35(CjMan5C)) to analyze the complex surfaces of wood tissues and pulp fibers. The crystalline cellulose CBM1(HjCel7A) was found as a reliable marker of both bacterially produced and plant G-layer cellulose, and labeling of spruce pulp fibers with CBM1(HjCel7A) revealed a signal that increased with degree of fiber damage. The mannan-specific CBM27(TmMan5) and CBM35(CjMan5C) CBMs were found to be more specific reagents than a monoclonal antibody specific for (1-->4)-beta-mannan/galacto-(1-->4)-beta-mannan for mapping carbohydrates on native substrates. We have developed a quantitative fluorometric method for analysis of crystalline cellulose accumulation on fiber surfaces and shown a quantitative difference in crystalline cellulose binding sites in differently processed pulp fibers. Our results indicated that CBMs provide useful, novel tools for monitoring changes in carbohydrate content of nonuniform substrate surfaces, for example, during wood or pulping processes and possibly fiber biosynthesis.

The position of regenerating cambia: auxin/sucrose ratio and the gradient induction hypothesis

To account for the positions in which vascular cambia regenerate in wound callus, a gradient induction hypothesis was proposed in 1961 in terms of gradients in 'some factor as yet unknown'. It now seems likely that the gradient is based on morphogen diffusion between source and sink on opposite sides of existing cambia, with morphogen diffusing into the adjoining wound callus. It is specifically proposed that there are two morphogens, auxin diffusing centrifugally and sucrose diffusing centripetally. The cambium then regenerates along a path where the ratio of auxin to sucrose concentration is similar to that at the original cambium, and its orientation (as regards xylem and phloem formation) is determined by the direction of the gradient in this ratio. These proposals are supported by published evidence on auxin and sucrose concentration gradients across the cambium, and on their sources, movements, and known effects on vascular differentiation. Simulations of the proposed positional control system predict patterns of cambial regeneration and orientation corresponding to those observed in four different types of wound and graft.

[Low molecular weight carbohydrates in the cambial sap of Larix decidua mill]

The neutral fraction of low molecular carbohydrates in the cambial sap of Larix decidua has been investigated. Fructose, glucose, saccharose, coniferin, myo-inositol, and sequoyitol have been isolated and characterised. The role of cyclitols in the carbohydrate metabolism is discussed.

NITROGEN IN WOOD AND ITS ROLE IN WOOD DETERIORATION

Based on present knowledge of the origin, amounts, chemical form, and distribution of nitrogen (N) in wood, hypotheses are proposed to explain radial gradients in N content that exist across the xylem cylinder of tree stems: (1) N in the cytoplasm of developing wood cells is diluted by apposition of cell wall substances; (2) after maturation of wood fiber cells, N in their cytoplasm is removed by elution into the transpiration stream; (3) death of xylem parenchyma cells during aging of sapwood and formation of heartwood is accompanied by removal of much of the N in their cytoplasm. Hypotheses 2 and 3 above suggest strongly that trees possess an internal recycling mechanism for conservation and reuse of the N in the cytoplasm of xylary cells.Although the supply of N in wood is meager, wood-destroying fungi readily metabolize the carbon-rich constituents of wood and produce large fruiting structures that release vast numbers of spores in nature. To account for these capacities, we postulate that these fungi employ one or more of the following three mechanisms: (1) preferential allocation of N obtainable from wood to substances and pathways highly efficient in the use of wood constituents; (2) reuse of N obtainable from wood by a dynamic and continuous process of autolysis and reuse without significant loss of N; (3) utilization of N sources outside the wood itself, for example, by fixation of atmospheric N.