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Ozone affects shikimate pathway transcripts and monomeric lignin composition in European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

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Abstract

The shikimate pathway plays a pivotal role in the formation of aromatic secondary compounds in plants. It finally leads to the formation of, for example, stilbenes, flavonoids, and lignins. Ozone effects on transcript levels of the shikimate pathway were studied in leaves of European beech saplings in the greenhouse (300 nl l−1, 8 h/day, 30 days), and in leaves of adult beech trees at the Kranzberg Forest free-air ozone fumigation site (ambient and twice ambient ozone levels) between June and October 2004. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) with RNA isolated from beech saplings showed a strong induction of 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase3 (DAHPS3), 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase/shikimate dehydrogenase (DHQD/SD), 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS), and chorismate mutase (CM) starting at day seven from the onset of ozone treatment. In contrast, sun leaves of adult European beech showed only a weak elevation of shikimate pathway transcripts throughout the vegetation period studied. In addition, we examined lignin content and monomeric structure in leaves of European beech saplings from the greenhouse experiment. Leaves exhibiting highest amount of ozone-dependent lesions had the highest lignin content as determined according to Klason. Moreover, with increasing leaf damage, the syringyl (S) monomer content decreased, whereas the content of guaiacyl (G) and p-hydroxyphenyl (H) units increased. These results overall suggest that the composition of lignin is affected by ozone and is already regulated at early steps of the shikimate pathway.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the staff of the Kranzberg Forest station for their excellent scientific and technical assistance. We wish to thank the staff of the Helmholtz Zentrum München Department of Environmental Engineering for their excellent technical support during the greenhouse experiments. We also sincerely acknowledge the technical assistance of Laurent Cézard (INRA) and of Frédéric Legée (AgroParisTech) for the thioacidolysis and Klason determinations. This research was part of a project funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft under the contract number SFB 607.

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Author notes

  1. Gunter A. Betz & Heinrich Sandermann

    Present address: Advalytix AG, Eugen-Sänger-Ring 4, 85649, Brunnthal, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany

    Gunter A. Betz, Claudia Knappe, Maren Olbrich, Christian Langebartels, Werner Heller, Heinrich Sandermann & Dieter Ernst

  2. Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany

    Gerhard Welzl

  3. INRA, UMR, Biological Chemistry, AgroParisTech Centre de Grignon, 78850, Thiverval-Grignon, France

    Catherine Lapierre

  4. ecotox.freiburg, Schubertstr. 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany

    Heinrich Sandermann

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  1. Gunter A. Betz
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  2. Claudia Knappe
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Correspondence to Dieter Ernst.

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Communicated by A. Roloff.

This article belongs to the special issue “Growth and defense of Norway spruce and European beech in pure and mixed stands”.

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Betz, G.A., Knappe, C., Lapierre, C. et al. Ozone affects shikimate pathway transcripts and monomeric lignin composition in European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). Eur J Forest Res 128, 109–116 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-008-0216-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-008-0216-8

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