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Knockdown of PCBER1, a gene of neolignan biosynthesis, resulted in increased poplar growth

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Main conclusion

Poplar trees displayed an increased plant height due to the transgenic knockdown of PCBER1, a gene of lignan biosynthesis. The wood composition was slightly altered in both overexpression and knockdown lines.

The gene PHENYLCOUMARAN BENZYLIC ETHER REDUCTASE1 (PCBER1) is well known as an important gene in the synthesis of lignans, a group of diverse phenylpropanoid derivatives. They are widely distributed in the plant kingdom and may have a role in both plant defense and growth regulation. To analyze its role in biomass formation and wood composition in poplar, both overexpression and knockdown approaches have been performed. Transgenic lines were analyzed on genetic and phenotypic levels, and partly in regard to their biomass composition. While the PCBER1 overexpression approach remained unremarkable concerning the plant height, biomass composition of obtained transgenic lines was modified. They had a significantly increased amount of ethanol extractives. The PCBER1 knockdown resulted in significantly deviating plants; after 17 months of greenhouse cultivation, transgenic plants were up to 38% higher compared to non-transgenic wild type. Most examined transgenic lines did not reveal a significantly enhanced stem diameter after three vegetation periods in the greenhouse. Significant changes were not obtained with regard to the three major wood components, lignin, cellulose and hemicelluloses. As a slight but not significant reduction in ethanol extractives was detected, the hypothesis arises that the lignan content could be influenced. Lignans become important in the pharmaceutical industry and clinical studies concerning cancer and other diseases, thus further investigations on lignan formation in poplar and its connection to biomass formation seem promising.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Guido Jach (Phytowelt, Cologne, Germany) for providing the amiRNA transformation vectors. Thanks to Susanne Jelkmann, Olaf Polak, Jonas Schönfeld, Jakob Fromme, Gundel Wiemann, Monika Spauszus, and Rainer Ebbinghaus for technical assistance. This work was part of the joint project “PopMass”, founded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the funding number 0315972A.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Thuenen Institute of Forest Genetics, Sieker Landstrasse 2, 22927, Grosshansdorf, Germany

    Tobias Bruegmann, Birgit Kersten & Matthias Fladung

  2. Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research, Geiselbergstraße 69, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany

    Hendrik Wetzel & Kay Hettrich

  3. Johan Gadolin Process Chemistry Centre, Åbo Akademi University, Porthansgatan 3, 20500, Turku/Åbo, Finland

    Annika Smeds & Stefan Willför

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  1. Tobias Bruegmann
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Correspondence to Tobias Bruegmann.

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Bruegmann, T., Wetzel, H., Hettrich, K. et al. Knockdown of PCBER1, a gene of neolignan biosynthesis, resulted in increased poplar growth. Planta 249, 515–525 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-018-3021-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-018-3021-8

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