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. 2023 Jul 18;14:4285. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-39930-3

Fig. 3. miR408 overexpression alters lignin deposition in poplar.

Fig. 3

a Cross-sections of six-month-old basal stems of WT, overexpression and knockout poplar lines. Stem cross-sections were stained with phloroglucinol-HCl (red color indicates lignin). Scale bar, 1 mm. Ten samples each were analyzed with similar results. b Cell wall ultrastructure of mature xylem. Scale bar, 5 μm. Six samples each were analyzed with similar results. c CRM images of lignin in IN20 secondary xylem cell walls. The scale bar from 200–800 represents signal intensity from low to high. The red color represents a higher signal intensity than blue. Lignin is deposited throughout the cell wall in WT, whereas it is localized more in the corners of the cell walls of miR408_OX plants, indicating that miR408_OX plants have delayed lignification. Six samples each were analyzed with similar results. d-g 2D-HQSC NMR spectra revealing aromatic regions (d, f) and lignin aliphatic side chain regions (e, g). The lignin in miR408_OX poplar lines had a lower relative abundance of S lignin units and a correspondingly higher abundance of G lignin units. The β-aryl ether subunits (A) were lower in miR408_OX poplars.