Lignocellulosic biomass from dedicated energy crops such as Miscanthus spp. is an important tool to combat anthropogenic climate change. However, we still do not exactly understand the sources of cell wall recalcitrance to deconstruction, which hinders the efficient biorefining of plant biomass into biofuels and bioproducts. We combined detailed phenotyping, correlation studies and discriminant analyses, to identify key significantly distinct variables between miscanthus organs, genotypes and most importantly, between saccharification performances. Furthermore, for the first time in an energy crop, normalised total quantification of specific cell wall glycan epitopes is reported and correlated with saccharification. In stems, lignin has the greatest impact on recalcitrance. However, in leaves, matrix glycans and their decorations have determinant effects, highlighting the importance of biomass fine structures, in addition to more commonly described cell wall compositional features. The results of our interrogation of the miscanthus cell wall promote the concept that desirable cell wall traits for increased biomass quality are highly dependent on the target biorefining products. Thus, for the development of biorefining ideotypes, instead of a generalist miscanthus variety, more realistic and valuable approaches may come from defining a collection of specialised cultivars, adapted to specific conditions and purposes.

An enterobacteriaceae bacterium, Pantoea ananatis (Serrano) Mergaert, is a causal agent of an economically important disease of onion, center rot. P. ananatis is transmitted by an onion infesting thrips, Frankliniella fusca (Hinds). However, interactions between F. fusca and P. ananatis as well as transmission mechanisms largely remain uncharacterized. This study investigated P. ananatis acquisition by thrips and transstadial persistence. Further, the effects of bacterial acquisition on thrips fitness were also evaluated. When thrips larvae and adults were provided with acquisition access periods (AAP) on peanut leaflets contaminated with the bacterium, an exponential positive relationship was observed between AAP and P. ananatis acquisition (R2 ≥0.77; P =0.01). P. ananatis persisted in thrips through life stages (larvae, pupae and adult). Despite the bacterial persistence, no significant effects on thrips fitness parameters such as fecundity and development were observed. Immunofluorescence microscopy of...

Plant cell walls are classified as primary and secondary walls. The primary wall is necessary for plant morphogenesis and supports cell growth and expansion. Once the growth and expansion ceases, specialized cells form secondary walls in order to give strength and rigidity to the plant. Secondary cell walls are the main constituent of woody biomass. This biomass is raw material for industrial products, food, and biomaterials. Recently, there are an increasing number of studies using biomass for biofuel production and this area has gained importance. However, there are still many unknowns regarding the synthesis and structure of complex polysaccharides forming biomass. Cellulose, being one of the main components of the cell wall, is synthesized at the plasma membrane by cellulose synthase complexes and does not require transportation. On the other hand, pectin and hemicelluloses are synthesized by enzymes located in the Golgi apparatus. Therefore, they need to be transported to the plasma membrane. Even though this transport mechanism is very important, it is one of the least understood parts of the endomembrane system. Xylan is the major hemicellulose in many biomasses and is important for renewable material production. There is limited knowledge about the cellular trafficking of xylan. In this review, we cover the current information and what we know about the vesicular transport of xylan to the cell wall.

The annual temperate grass Brachypodium distachyon has become a model system for monocot biomass crops and for understanding lignocellulosic recalcitrance to employ better saccharification and fermentation approaches. It is a monocot plant used to study the grass cell walls that differ from the cell walls of dicot plants such as the eudicot model Arabidopsis. The B. distachyon cell wall is predominantly composed of cellulose, arabinoxylans, and mixed-linkage glucans, and it resembles the cell walls of other field grasses. It has a vascular bundle anatomy similar to C3 grasses. These features make Brachypodium an ideal model to study cell walls. Cell walls are composed of polymers with complex structures that vary between cell types and at different developmental stages. Antibodies that recognize specific cell wall components are currently one of the most effective and specific molecular probes to determine the location and distribution of polymers in plant cell walls in situ. Here, we investigated the glycan distribution in the cell walls of the root and leaf tissues of Brachypodium by employing cell-wall-directed antibodies against diverse glycan epitopes. There are distinct differences in the presence of the epitopes between the root and leaf tissues as well as in the cell type level, which gives insights into monocot biomass.

Peatlands are one of the globally important ecosystems. Blanket bogs are a type of peatlands where water is generally supplied by meteorological events (rain, snow). We have been conducting the first detailed algal flora study of blanket bogs of Turkey and found new records of algae genera ever given for Turkey. Here, we report a total of four desmids genera identified as new records for freshwater algal flora of Turkey: Spirotaenia (Spirotaenia condensata, Spirotaenia erythrocephala), Mesotaenium (Mesotaenium macrococcum), Hyalotheca (Hyalotheca dissiliens), and Bambusina (Bambusina borreri). Their ecological habitat is also discussed to highlight the importance of protection and sustainability of these unique areas.

Blanket bogs are ombrotrophic peatlands where water is mainly supplied by precipitation. This study reports new algal records from blanket bogs in Türkiye, contributing to the knowledge of Türkiye’s freshwater algal flora. Algal samples were collected from five different blanket bogs located in the Eastern Black Sea Region of Türkiye. Samples were obtained on a monthly basis during selected months, May, July, and September in 2021, May and September in 2022, and July in 2023. A total of 50 taxa belonging to 19 genera were identified: Scytonema (1), Cavinula (1), Kobayasiella (1), Netrium (4), Closterium (3), Actinotaenium (5), Cosmarium (3), Euastrum (3), Micrasterias (2), Spondylosium (1), Staurastrum (15), Staurodesmus (2), Tetmemorus (2), Microspora (1), Characium (1), Desmodesmus (1), Trachelomonas (2), Calycimonas (1), and Opisthoaulax (1). Calycimonas and Opisthoaulax are reported as new genera for the freshwater algal flora of Türkiye. The identified taxa were predominantly observed in acidic, oligotrophic and low-conductivity waters, thereby indicating the distinctive ecological characteristics and conservation value of alpine blanket peat bogs.