Structural and technological implications of enhanced wood hydrophobicity

Duration of the project: 2015 - 2018

Contact: Gerrit-Jan Strijkstra, Email: gstrijk(at)gwdg.de


Wood is used as construction material, where it is often exposed to moisture. In order to prevent microbiological, mainly fungal decay of wood, several post-harvest treatments with hydrophobic and biocidal compounds are necessary. In general, plants offer a broad assortment of hydrophobic substances, mostly derived from fatty acid - related compounds. The hydrophobic properties of these compounds are crucial for land plants, for example in their cuticula (wax esters) or for energy storage purposes (tri/diacylglycerol).
Woody biomass is produced by successive addition of the secondary xylem tissue after differentiation of developing xylem cells. During wood formation, fatty compounds are assimilated and dissimilated in the cambium, following a seasonal pattern. Enhancing the activity of metabolic pathways involved in several fatty acid - related synthesis in the xylem could lead to an increase of hydrophobic molecules in wood. Genes expressed in this tissue during apoptosis require specific promoters, which should be used to genetically modify trees by pathways that are forming hydrophobic compounds.
To test the influence of hydrophobic compounds in wood forming tissues and validate seasonal patterns of fatty acids (FA) and its derivates, we use poplar to study the influence of increased hydrophobic compounds by introduction of transgenic FA-related genes.