Advantages and limits of Arabidopsis thaliana for the study of the first lignification steps

Lignins are plant-specific phenolic polymers. They render vessels waterproof and impart strength to fibers. The biosynthesis of monolignols, which are the monomeric precursors of lignins, includes many reduction, hydroxylation and methylation steps. The discovery of Ambidopsis mutants deficient in particular steps of this complex pathway provides the means to alter the lignification profile to differing degrees and to correlate lignin structure and contents with cell wall properties. The extrapolation of results obtained with Arabidopsis may be valuable for the improvement of production and use Of lignocellulosic biomass, in the case of annual Crops, such as maize or alfalfa, or of fast-growing trees, such as poplar and eucalyptus.