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(American Journal of Botany. 2006;93:1433-1438.)
© 2006 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

Physiology and Biochemistry

Biomechanics and transgenic wood1

Lothar Koehler4 and Frank W. Telewski

2Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 USA; 3W. J. Beal Botanical Garden, Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 USA

ABSTRACT

Wood, or secondary xylem, is composed mostly of three components—cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin. Yet this apparent simplicity is deceiving because the sophisticated arrangement of the components on various structural levels, ranging from intricate molecular architecture to defined cellular arrangements to tissue morphology, makes wood a challenging and interesting subject of biomechanical investigation. Recent advances in genetic transformation, providing easier access to wood of specifically altered composition or structure, have opened new opportunities for research on the intricate relation between material structure and composition and mechanical properties. At the same time, investigations into the mechanical properties have provided new information regarding the structural configuration of wood. The present paper reviews the work conducted in this field and outlines future perspectives and prospects for research.

Key Words: cell wall • cellulose • genetics • hemicellulose • lignin • modulus of elasticity • stiffness • viscoelasticity






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