Decoding the role of lignin chemistry for plant evolution, development and resistance to drought

Lignins are the second most abundant biopolymer in the biosphere, they are essential for plant growth and have chemically diversified during plant evolution.

However, the genetic process controlling the chemical diversity of lignins and their functions in plants remain unclear. Recent discoveries made by the applicant in 2022-23 revised our previous random conception of lignin formation.

Lignins are in fact controlled at the subcellular levels by specific genetic, cell-interactive, and molecular processes differing between cell wall layers, cell types and plant species, during plant growth and in response to environmental changes.

However, the exact mechanisms controlling the formation of specific lignin structures in each cell types have not yet been identified.

The aim of the project is to understand the genetic mechanisms controlling lignin chemistry directly at the cellular and subcellular levels.

During this four-year project, we will (i) define the genetic network controlling lignin formation in the different lignified cell types during normal growth and in response to drought; (ii) determine the role of lignin chemistry in different plant species for plant biomechanics and drought resistance; and (iii) unravel which molecular factors control the chemical diversity of lignin observed in specific plant species.

Altogether, our project will set the fundamental understanding on how lignins are formed during plant evolution and adaptation to climate change.