Dynamic incorporation of specific lignin residues controls the biomechanics of the plant vasculature and its resilience to environmental changes

•  The accumulation of the cell wall polymer lignin in vascular cells enables long-distance water conduction and structural support in plants. Independently of the plant species, each different vascular cell type accumulates specific lignin amount and composition affecting both aromatic and aliphatic substitutions of its residues. However, the biological role of this conserved and specific lignin chemistry for each cell type remains unclear. Herein, we performed single cell analyses on plant vascular cell morphotypes to investigate the role of specific lignin composition for cellular function. We showed that distinct amounts and compositions of lignin accumulated in the different morphotypes of the sap conducting vascular cells. We discovered that lignin accumulates dynamically, increasing in quantity and changing composition, to fine-tune the cell wall mechanical properties of each conducting cell morphotype. Modification this lignin specificity impaired specifically the cell wall mechanical properties of each morphotype and consequently their capacity to optimally conduct water in normal but also to recover from drought conditions. Altogether, our findings provide the biological role of specific lignin chemistry in sap conducting cells, to dynamically adjust the hydraulic properties of each conducting cell during developmental and environmental constraints.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Botanik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Botany (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

ovr (subject category)