Table I.

Lignin analysis of antisense parent lines and their progeny

Culture Room Conditions					Greenhouse Conditions
Line	CCRa	COMT Ia	LKb	S:Gc	CCRa	COMT Ia	LKb	β-O-4 bonds	S"Gc
			%					%
Control	100 ± 7	100 ± 13	20.9 ± 0.1	0.91 ± 0.02	100 ± 23	100 ± 8	15.3 ± 0.3	44 ± 5	1.2 ± 0.1
B68	30 ± 2	87 ± 4	20.7 ± 1.5	1.35 ± 0.13	9 ± 3	73 ± 6	9.7 ± 1.4	33 ± 1	2.4 ± 0.1
B31	9 ± 3	137 ± 13	10.7 ± 0.2	3.16 ± 0.06	6 ± 1	83 ± 12	8.8 ± 0.9	8 ± 0.6	2.5 ± 0.1
B10	150 ± 4	27 ± 8	21.2 ± 0.6	0.52 ± 0.01	230 ± 70	7 ± 5	13.8 ± 2.7	28 ± 3	0.2 ± 0.1
B31 × B10 progeny	12 ± 0.2	45 ± 4	10.7 ± 0.3	3.29 ± 0.17	10 ± 4	41 ± 2	7.6 ± 0.6	17 ± 2	2.3 ± 0.4
B68 × B10 progeny	71 ± 2	42	21.9 ± 1.0	0.90 ± 0.06	nd	34	14.8 ± 0.1	41 ± 2	1.1 ± 0.1

Eleven-week-old plants grown under culture room or greenhouse conditions were analyzed. Klason lignin (LK) values reflect the total lignin content. For plants grown in the culture room, a micromethod was used. The analysis of lignin monomers issuing from the thioacidolysis of extractive free samples allowed us to estimate the molar percentage of S and G units only involved in β-O-4 bonds and the corresponding S:G ratio according to Lapierre et al. (1995). Three to five plants of each line were analyzed and all samples were duplicated. nd, Not determined.

^a Enzyme activities are expressed relative to the mean value of the control population taken as 100%. 

^b Klason lignin values are expressed as percentage of extractive-free walls. 

^c Lignin monomeric composition is expressed as S:G ratio determined by thioacidolysis analysis.