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Comptes Rendus

Current research on secondary lignified cell walls, a thematic issue dedicated to Bernard Monties
Comptes Rendus. Biologies, Volume 327 (2004) no. 9-10, pp. 775-776.
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Published online:
DOI: 10.1016/j.crvi.2004.08.004

Anne-Marie Catesson 1

1 Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, Paris, France
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     title = {Current research on secondary lignified cell walls, a thematic issue dedicated to {Bernard} {Monties}},
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Anne-Marie Catesson. Current research on secondary lignified cell walls, a thematic issue dedicated to Bernard Monties. Comptes Rendus. Biologies, Volume 327 (2004) no. 9-10, pp. 775-776. doi : 10.1016/j.crvi.2004.08.004. https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/biologies/articles/10.1016/j.crvi.2004.08.004/

Original version of the full text

Foreword

The present issue of Comptes rendus Biologies is dedicated to Bernard Monties on the occasion of his retirement. The chapters illustrating various aspects of current research on secondary walls were written by leading scientists who, at a time or another, worked with him. By themselves, the contents give testimony to the large range of his interests and to his talent for inducing researchers from different fields to work together on a given project.

I met Bernard Monties at a time when his interests were shifting from soluble polyphenols to lignins. Lignins are complex, heterogeneous molecules present in the secondary walls of xylem and sclerenchyma. They give their unique properties to wood and fibres. However, lignins are difficult to study, since their structure is irremediably altered during extraction. As a biochemist, Bernard Monties was primarily involved in the challenge of unravelling lignin structure and its relationships with other wall constituents. At that time (the early 1970s), he had already recognized the necessity of approaching the study of lignified cell walls from various viewpoints to achieve genuine understanding. He called together chemists, plant physiologists, anatomists, cytologists, microbiologists as well as specialists of wood quality into a research group within the framework of two successive national projects on woody materials (‘materiau bois’ and ‘filière bois’), each partner bringing to the task his specific methods and abilities. The organization of this research group already revealed the fundamental rules guiding Bernard Monties towards his scientific goals, one might even say that it revealed the philosophic reflection sustaining his work and leading to his achievements. He was aware that even the best techniques had intrinsic limitations compelling scientists to use multidisciplinary approaches. His thorough knowledge of current scientific literature allowed him to put in touch colleagues working in distant fields.

If Bernard Monties was conscious of the benefits gained by multidisciplinary approaches, he was also conscious of the necessity to keep a balance between fundamental and applied researches. This unremitting concern led him to develop cell-wall research in the INRA (‘Institut national de la recherche agronomique’) laboratories in directions likely to open on industrial applications and, more recently, to promote programmes uniting scientists from domains as different as ecophysiology, biomechanics, molecular biology, etc.

The large panel of contributions collected in this issue bears witness to Bernard Monties' constant care. Fundamental aspects are illustrated by the most recent studies on lignins and lignification from chemical and biochemical [1–4], immuno- and cytochemical [3,5–7], genetic [8–10] viewpoints coupled to a study of microbial wood degradation [11]. Two chapters are devoted to physicochemical and mechanical properties of woody material [12,13], while special attention is given to tension wood [10]. On the other hand, evidence of the large range of industrial applications can be found in papers on pulping [14–16], fibre technology [16], forage digestibility [9], biomass conversion [17] and on obtention of new materials from lignified cell walls and co-products [18,19]. It is sure that this challenging confrontation of viewpoints will create profitable emulation and promote new researches on lignified tissues that are often considered as a paradigm of plant cell differentiation, while offering us the main renewable resource from the biosphere.


References

[1] B. Cathala; V. Aguié-Béghin; R. Douillard Coniferyl alcohol reactivity at the air/water interface, C. R. Biologies, Volume 327 (2004) no. 9–10 | DOI

[2] D. Reis; B. Vian Helicoidal pattern in secondary cell walls and possible role of xylans in their construction, C. R. Biologies, Volume 327 (2004) no. 9–10 | DOI

[3] K. Yamauchi; K. Fukushima The regulation from guaiacyl to syringyl lignin in the differentiating xylem of Robinia pseudoacacia, C. R. Biologies, Volume 327 (2004) no. 9–10 | DOI

[4] C. Rolando; N. Daubresse; B. Pollet; L. Jouanin; C. Lapierre Lignification in poplar plantlets fed with deuterium-labelled lignin precursors, C. R. Biologies, Volume 327 (2004) no. 9–10 | DOI

[5] J.-P. Joseleau; O. Faix; K.-I. Kuroda; K. Ruel A polyclonal antibody directed against syringylpropane epitopes of native lignins, C. R. Biologies, Volume 327 (2004) no. 9–10 | DOI

[6] N. Terashima; T. Awano; K. Takabe; M. Yoshida Formation of macromolecular lignin in ginkgo xylem cell walls as observed by field emission scanning electron microscopy, C. R. Biologies, Volume 327 (2004) no. 9–10 | DOI

[7] T. Sato; K. Takabe; M. Fujita Immunolocalization of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and cinnamate-4-hydroxylase in differentiating xylem of poplar, C. R. Biologies, Volume 327 (2004) no. 9–10 | DOI

[8] A.-M. Boudet; S. Rochange The polymorphism of the genes/enzymes involved in the last two reductive steps of monolignol synthesis: what is the functional significance?, C. R. Biologies, Volume 327 (2004) no. 9–10 | DOI

[9] Y. Barrière; J. Ralph; V. Méchin; S. Guillaumie; J.H. Grabber; O. Argillier; B. Chabbert; C. Lapierre Genetic and molecular basis of grass cell-wall biosynthesis and degradability. Part II. Lessons from brown-midrib mutants, C. R. Biologies, Volume 327 (2004) no. 9–10 | DOI

[10] G. Pilate; B. Chabbert; B. Cathala; A. Yoshinaga; J.-C. Leplé; F. Laurans; C. Lapierre; K. Ruel Lignification and tension wood, C. R. Biologies, Volume 327 (2004) no. 9–10 | DOI

[11] G. Daniel; J. Volc; M.-L. Niku-Paavola Cryo-Fe-SEM & TEM immuno-techniques reveal new details for understanding white-rot decay of lignocellulose, C. R. Biologies, Volume 327 (2004) no. 9–10 | DOI

[12] L. Salmén Micromechanical understanding of the cell-wall structure, C. R. Biologies, Volume 327 (2004) no. 9–10 | DOI

[13] J. Gril; D. Hunt; B. Thibaut Using wood creep data to discuss the contribution of cell-wall reinforcing material, C. R. Biologies, Volume 327 (2004) no. 9–10 | DOI

[14] G. Gellerstedt; A. Majtnerova; L. Zhang Towards a new concept of lignin condensation in kraft pulping. Initial results, C. R. Biologies, Volume 327 (2004) no. 9–10 | DOI

[15] D. Lachenal; G. Mortha; R.-M. Sevillano; M. Zaroubine Isolation of residual lignin from softwood kraft pulp. Advantages of the acetic acid acidolysis method, C. R. Biologies, Volume 327 (2004) no. 9–10 | DOI

[16] V. Meyer-Pinson; K. Ruel; F. Gaudard; G. Valtat; M. Petit-Conil; B. Kurek Oxalic acid: a microbial metabolite of interest for the pulping industry, C. R. Biologies, Volume 327 (2004) no. 9–10 | DOI

[17] E. Avgerinos; E. Billa; N. Papatheofanous; D. Koullas; E. Koukios Developing molecular strategies for fractionation, delignification and characterisation of plant fibres, C. R. Biologies, Volume 327 (2004) no. 9–10 | DOI

[18] C. Pouteau; S. Baumberger; B. Cathala; P. Dole Lignin–polymer blends; evaluation of compatibility by image analysis, C. R. Biologies, Volume 327 (2004) no. 9–10 | DOI

[19] S.E. Gradwell; S. Renneckar; A.R. Esker; T. Heinze; P. Gatenholm; C. Vaca-Garcia; W. Glasser Surface modification of cellulose fibers: towards wood composites by biomimetics, C. R. Biologies, Volume 327 (2004) no. 9–10 | DOI


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