The development of xylem tracheary elements (TEs)--the hydro-mineral sap conducting cells--has been an evolutionary breakthrough to enable long distance nutrition and upright growth of vascular land plants. To allow sap conduction, TEs form hollow laterally reinforced cylinders by combining programmed cell death and secondary cell wall formation. To ensure their structural resistance for sap co...

Plants are built of various specialized cell types that differ in their cell wall composition and structure. The cell walls of certain tissues (xylem, sclerenchyma) are characterized by the presence of the heterogeneous lignin polymer that plays an essential role in their physiology. This phenolic polymer is composed of different monomeric units - the monolignols - that are linked together by s...

Lignin is a complex polyphenolic constituent of plant secondary cell walls. Inspired largely by the recalcitrance of lignin to biomass processing, plant engineering efforts have routinely sought to alter lignin quantity, composition, and structure by exploiting the inherent plasticity of lignin biosynthesis. More recently, researchers are attempting to strategically design plants for increased ...

Although contributions of the equine gut microbiome to forage utilization are well recognized, impact alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) lignification on remains unknown; thus, we characterized microbial communities in when feeding reduced lignin (RL) and conventional (CON) hays adult stock-type horses. Dietary treatments were fed six horses a crossover study. Experimental periods consisted 9-day die...

Studies of lignin structure and reactivity have been re-energized by the emergence of modern technologies, new analytical methods, and by exciting recent findings. The structural aspects which were considered complex but well understood some years back have seen revisions that add to the complexity in some ways but are clarified by the logical chemistry in others. One of the most significant re...

B. Moerschbacher, B. Heck, K. H. Kogel, O. Obst, and H. J. Reisener Institut für Biologie III der RWTH Aachen, Worringer Weg, D-5100 Aachen, Bundesrepublik Deutschland Z. Naturforsch. 41c, 839—844 (1986); received April 4/June 9, 1986 Triticum aestivum, Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, Hypersensitive Response, Lignification, Elicitor The genuine biotic elicitor from germ tube walls of Puccinia...