Long cold exposure induces transcriptional and biochemical remodelling of Eucalyptus wood cell wall

What is it about?

Although eucalypts are the most planted hardwood trees worldwide, the majority of them are frost sensitive. The recent creation of frost-tolerant hybrids such as E gunnii x E. dalrympleana, now enables the development of industrial plantations in northern countries. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of cold on the wood structure and composition of these hybrids, and on the biosynthetic and regulatory processes controlling their secondary cell wall (SCW) formation

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Why is it important?

To evaluate the effects of low temperature on the SCW properties of eucalyptus wood and to identify the metabolic and regulatory genes involved in SCW biosynthesis under cold stress, our study combined morphological analyses of xylem with biochemical characterization and transcriptomic profiling in young E. gundal hybrids submitted to chilling temperatures for up to seven weeks and in adult trees grown in field conditions over three seasons in the south west of France