Hidden Powers of Lignin in Plant Growth Explored

By Jean-Paul MacDonald
Farms.com

Clint Chapple and his team from Purdue University studied lignin, a basic plant fiber. Lignin is usually seen as just a structural component, but recent experiments suggest it might affect plant growth more than we thought.

Primarily recognized for its role in industries like pulp and paper, Chapple's team has been exploring lignin's potential in biofuels. Their research, focused on the experimental plant Arabidopsis thaliana, took an unexpected turn when certain manipulations led to diminutive plants.

This led Fabiola Muro-Villanueva to investigate further. Her rigorous experiments pointed to pinoresinol, a compound previously believed to only serve as a lignin building block, as a potential growth influencer.

This groundbreaking discovery suggests that pinoresinol, along with other compounds like coniferyl alcohol, plays a pivotal role in plant development, especially in roots. It opens doors to a more comprehensive understanding of plants, particularly when considering modified plants for biofuel production.

Chapple highlighted the pressing need for this depth of knowledge to ensure any newly developed plant species thrive in the wild.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, this research offers an enlightening perspective on the myriad capabilities of plants.