A5035578143- Nematode management and characterization studies
- Plant Gene Expression Analysis
- Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis
- Plant tissue culture and regeneration
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Plant Molecular Biology Research
- Lignin and Wood Chemistry
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Biochemical and biochemical processes
- Studies on Chitinases and Chitosanases
- Plant biochemistry and biosynthesis
- Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity
- Biofuel production and bioconversion
- Allelopathy and phytotoxic interactions
- Polysaccharides and Plant Cell Walls
- Soybean genetics and cultivation
- Plant Virus Research Studies
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Plant Stress Responses and Tolerance
- Thermochemical Biomass Conversion Processes
- Horticultural and Viticultural Research
- Entomopathogenic Microorganisms in Pest Control
- Plant Reproductive Biology
- Agronomic Practices and Intercropping Systems
- Banana Cultivation and Research
Ghent University
2014-2025
VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology
2014-2025
Ghent University Hospital
2013-2021
Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie
2009-2015
Lignin Biosynthesis Complications is a polymer that lends its sturdy properties to wood and makes plant cell walls tougher, which creates problems for chemists converting cellulosic biomass into biofuels. Vanholme et al. (p. 1103 , published online 15 August; see the cover) have identified new step in biosynthetic pathway of lignin Arabidopsis caffeoyl shikimate esterase catalyzes synthesis caffeate. Cellulose from mutant plants, had reduced amounts lignin, was more efficiently processed glucose.
Abstract Lignin engineering is an attractive strategy to improve lignocellulosic biomass quality for processing biofuels and other bio-based products. However, lignin also results in profound metabolic consequences the plant. We used a systems biology approach study plant's response perturbations. To this end, inflorescence stems of 20 Arabidopsis thaliana mutants, each mutated single gene biosynthetic pathway (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase1 [PAL1], PAL2, cinnamate 4-hydroxylase [C4H],...
Polyploidization has played a key role in plant breeding and crop improvement. Although its potential to increase biomass yield is well described, the effect of polyploidization on composition largely remained unexplored. Here, we generated series Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants with different somatic ploidy levels (2n, 4n, 6n, 8n) performed rigorous phenotypic characterization. Kinematic analysis showed that polyploids developed slower compared diploids; however, tetra-...
The bio-based economy relies on sustainable, plant-derived resources for fuels, chemicals, materials, food and feed rather than the evanescent usage of fossil resources. cornerstone this is biorefinery, in which renewable are intelligently converted to a plethora products, maximizing valorization feedstocks. Innovation prerequisite move fossil-based towards sustainable alternatives, viability depends integration between plant (green) industrial (white) biotechnology. Green biotechnology...
Abstract Plant metabolomics is increasingly used for pathway discovery and to elucidate gene function. However, the main bottleneck identification of detected compounds. This more pronounced secondary metabolites as many their pathways are still underexplored. Here, an algorithm presented in which liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry profiles searched pairs peaks that have mass retention time differences corresponding with those substrates products from well-known enzymatic reactions....
Abstract Lignin is an aromatic polymer derived from the combinatorial coupling of monolignol radicals in cell wall. Recently, various glycosylated lignin oligomers have been revealed Arabidopsis thaliana. Given that oxidation and radical are known to occur apoplast, glycosylation cytoplasm, it raises questions about subcellular localization oligomer biosynthesis their storage. By metabolite profiling leaf vacuoles, we show vacuole stores a large number these small oligomers. Their structural...
Summary Next‐generation (NG) sequencing in a natural population of P opulus nigra revealed mutant with premature stop codon the gene encoding hydroxycinnamoyl‐ C o A : shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase1 ( HCT 1), an essential enzyme lignin biosynthesis. The composition . trees homozygous for defective allele was compared that heterozygous and without allele. characterized by phenolic profiling, oligomer sequencing, thioacidolysis NMR In addition, 1 heterologously expressed activity...
Lignin is a complex phenolic heteropolymer deposited in the secondarily thickened walls of specialized plant cells to provide strength for plants stand upright and hydrophobicity conducting long-distance water transport. Although essential growth development, lignin major cell-wall component responsible biomass recalcitrance industrial processing. Peroxidases laccases are generally thought be polymerization, but, given their broad substrate specificities large gene families, specific...
The nonprotein amino acid β-aminobutyric (BABA) is known to protect plants against various pathogens. mode of action relatively diverse and specific in different plant-pathogen systems. To extend the analysis BABA plant-parasitic nematodes monocot plants, we evaluated effect root-knot nematode (RKN) Meloidogyne graminicola rice. treatment rice inhibited penetration resulted delayed giant cell development. BABA-induced resistance (BABA-IR) was still functional mutants or transgenics defective...
Auxin steers numerous physiological processes in plants, making the tight control of its endogenous levels and spatiotemporal distribution a necessity. This regulation is achieved by different mechanisms, including auxin biosynthesis, metabolic conversions, degradation, transport. Here, we introduce cis-cinnamic acid (c-CA) as novel unique addition to small group molecules affecting planta concentrations. c-CA photo-isomerization product phenylpropanoid pathway intermediate trans-CA (t-CA)....
Although many phenylpropanoid pathway-derived molecules act as physical and chemical barriers to pests pathogens, comparatively little is known about their role in regulating plant immunity. To explore this research field, we transiently perturbed the pathway through application of CINNAMIC ACID-4-HYDROXYLASE (C4H) inhibitor piperonylic acid (PA). Using bioassays involving diverse show that transient C4H inhibition triggers systemic, broad-spectrum resistance higher plants without affecting...
Rice diterpenoid phytoalexins (DPs) are secondary metabolites with a well known role in resistance to foliar pathogens. As DPs also be produced and exuded by rice roots, we hypothesised that they might play an important plant-nematode interactions, particularly defence against phytoparasitic nematodes. We used transcriptome analysis on roots analyse the effect of infection root-knot nematode Meloidogyne graminicola or treatment resistance-inducing chemical stimuli DP biosynthesis genes,...
Agrochemicals provide vast potential to improve plant productivity, because they are easy implement at low cost while not being restricted by species barriers as compared with breeding strategies. Despite the general interest, only a few compounds growth-promoting activity have been described so far. Here, we add cis-cinnamic acid (c-CA) small portfolio of existing growth stimulators. When applied micromolar concentrations Arabidopsis roots, c-CA stimulates both cell division and expansion...
The phenylpropanoid pathway serves a central role in plant metabolism, providing numerous compounds involved diverse physiological processes. Most carbon entering the is incorporated into lignin. Although several mutants show seedling growth arrest, for lignin and development unexplored. We use complementary pharmacological genetic approaches to block CINNAMATE-4-HYDROXYLASE (C4H) functionality Arabidopsis seedlings set of molecular biochemical techniques investigate underlying phenotypes....