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Published on: February 23, 2011
Heterologous expression of Pinus massoniana VNS2 enhances secondary cell wall deposition in poplar
Yating Tian1, Kang Wang1, Hao Rong2
1Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, 159 Longpan Road, Nanjing, 210037, China.
Key Message:
PmVNS2 promotes secondary cell wall formation and enhances xylem development in transgenic poplar. Secondary cell wall deposition is essential for wood formation in trees, and NAC-domain transcription factors are widely involved in transcriptional networks associated with this process. Here, we identified PmVNS2, a VND-subfamily NAC gene from Pinus massoniana. PmVNS2 encodes a conserved NAC-domain protein and shows preferential expression in developing xylem. Heterologous expression of PmVNS2 in Populus davidiana × P. bolleana resulted in enhanced plant growth and secondary xylem development, accompanied by increased secondary cell wall thickening. Molecular analyses showed that PmVNS2 overexpression was associated with altered expression of genes related to lignin and cellulose biosynthesis. In addition, several downstream transcriptional regulators involved in secondary wall formation were affected, while some hemicellulose-related genes exhibited reduced expression. Together, these findings suggest that PmVNS2 may participate in transcriptional regulation associated with secondary cell wall formation and contribute to wood development-related processes in conifer species.
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