University of Helsinki

Post Doc Junko Takahashi-Schmidt

junko.takahashi-schmidt(at)helsinki.fi Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences Plant Biology, Biocenter 3, P.O. Box 65, Viikinkaari 1 SF - 00014 HELSINKI UNIVERSITY tel: + 358 (0) 191 57777

Wood (secondary xylem) is an essential natural and renewable resource for many human activities, such as paper and pulp industries, house construction and energy production. Wood is chiefly composed of the secondary cell walls, whose main constituent lignin is, after cellulose, the second most abundant biopolymer on earth. Lignin plays a crucial role for structural integrity of cell walls and for stiffness and strength of the plant body but has a negative impact on the pulping process.

Monolignol biosynthesis and polymerization process to lignin in cell walls have been well-studied during the recent years. However, monolignol transport mechanism from live cells to cell walls is not known despite many studies. There are three hypotheses: 1) Golgi mediated transport (which may not be likely1), 2) free diffusion2 and 3) transporter-mediated transport1.

We are trying to understand the mechanism, especially focusing on the involvement of transporter proteins and identifying them, if any, using mainly Norway spruce (Picea abies) tree and its lignin-forming cell culture3.  

This work has been performed in collaboration with Dr. Anna Kärkönen at Dept. of Applied Biology, University of Helsinki.
 
1 Kaneda et al. (2008) Plant Physiol. 147:1750-1760.
2 Boija et al. (2007) Anal. Biochem. 364:145-152.
3 Simola et al. (1992) Physiol.Plant. 84:374-379.