Field and pulping performances of transgenic trees with altered lignification

Gilles Pilate; Emma Guiney; Karen Holt; Michel Petit-Conil; Catherine Lapierre; Jean Charles Leplé; Brigitte Pollet; Isabelle Mila; Elizabeth A. Webster; Håkan G. Marstorp; David W. Hopkins; Lise Jouanin; Wout Boerjan; Wolfgang Schuch; Daniel Cornu; Claire Halpin

doi:10.1038/nbt0602-607

Field and pulping performances of transgenic trees with altered lignification

Gilles Pilate, Emma Guiney, Karen Holt, Michel Petit-Conil, Catherine Lapierre, Jean Charles Leplé, Brigitte Pollet, Isabelle Mila, Elizabeth A. Webster, Håkan G. Marstorp, David W. Hopkins, Lise Jouanin, Wout Boerjan, Wolfgang Schuch, Daniel Cornu, Claire Halpin (Lead / Corresponding author)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

336 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The agronomic and pulping performance of transgenic trees with altered lignin has been evaluated in duplicated, long-term field trials. Poplars expressing cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) or caffeate/5-hydroxyferulate O-methyltransferase (COMT) antisense transgenes were grown for four years at two sites, in France and England. The trees remained healthy throughout the trial. Growth indicators and interactions with insects were normal. No changes in soil microbial communities were detected beneath the transgenic trees. The expected modifications to lignin were maintained in the transgenics over four years, at both sites. Kraft pulping of tree trunks showed that the reduced-CAD lines had improved characteristics, allowing easier delignification, using smaller amounts of chemicals, while yielding more high-quality pulp. This work highlights the potential of engineering wood quality for more environmentally benign papermaking without interfering with tree growth or fitness.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	607-612
Number of pages	6
Journal	Nature Biotechnology
Volume	20
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0602-607
Publication status	Published - 1 Jun 2002

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Biotechnology
Bioengineering
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
Molecular Medicine
Biomedical Engineering

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Pilate, G., Guiney, E., Holt, K., Petit-Conil, M., Lapierre, C., Leplé, J. C., Pollet, B., Mila, I., Webster, E. A., Marstorp, H. G., Hopkins, D. W., Jouanin, L., Boerjan, W., Schuch, W., Cornu, D., & Halpin, C. (2002). Field and pulping performances of transgenic trees with altered lignification. Nature Biotechnology, 20(6), 607-612. https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0602-607

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title = "Field and pulping performances of transgenic trees with altered lignification",

abstract = "The agronomic and pulping performance of transgenic trees with altered lignin has been evaluated in duplicated, long-term field trials. Poplars expressing cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) or caffeate/5-hydroxyferulate O-methyltransferase (COMT) antisense transgenes were grown for four years at two sites, in France and England. The trees remained healthy throughout the trial. Growth indicators and interactions with insects were normal. No changes in soil microbial communities were detected beneath the transgenic trees. The expected modifications to lignin were maintained in the transgenics over four years, at both sites. Kraft pulping of tree trunks showed that the reduced-CAD lines had improved characteristics, allowing easier delignification, using smaller amounts of chemicals, while yielding more high-quality pulp. This work highlights the potential of engineering wood quality for more environmentally benign papermaking without interfering with tree growth or fitness.",

author = "Gilles Pilate and Emma Guiney and Karen Holt and Michel Petit-Conil and Catherine Lapierre and Lepl{\'e}, {Jean Charles} and Brigitte Pollet and Isabelle Mila and Webster, {Elizabeth A.} and Marstorp, {H{\aa}kan G.} and Hopkins, {David W.} and Lise Jouanin and Wout Boerjan and Wolfgang Schuch and Daniel Cornu and Claire Halpin",

note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgments We thank technical staff who managed both field trials and Fr{\'e}d{\'e}ric Leg{\'e}e for Klason determinations. Field trials were funded by the European Commission (FAIR, CT95-0424), soil analyses by the Natural Environment Research Council, and decomposition work by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.",

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doi = "10.1038/nbt0602-607",

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AU - Pilate, Gilles

AU - Guiney, Emma

AU - Holt, Karen

AU - Petit-Conil, Michel

AU - Lapierre, Catherine

AU - Leplé, Jean Charles

AU - Pollet, Brigitte

AU - Mila, Isabelle

AU - Webster, Elizabeth A.

AU - Marstorp, Håkan G.

AU - Hopkins, David W.

AU - Jouanin, Lise

AU - Boerjan, Wout

AU - Schuch, Wolfgang

AU - Cornu, Daniel

AU - Halpin, Claire

N1 - Funding Information: Acknowledgments We thank technical staff who managed both field trials and Frédéric Legée for Klason determinations. Field trials were funded by the European Commission (FAIR, CT95-0424), soil analyses by the Natural Environment Research Council, and decomposition work by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

PY - 2002/6/1

Y1 - 2002/6/1

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Field and pulping performances of transgenic trees with altered lignification

Abstract

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