TY - JOUR

T1 - Impact of RAV1-engineering on poplar biomass production

T2 - a short-rotation coppice field trial

AU - Moreno-Cortes, Alicia

AU - Ramos-Sanchez, Jose

AU - Hernandez-Verdeja, Tamara

AU - Gonzalez-Melendi, Pablo

AU - Alves, Ana MM

AU - Simoes, Rita

AU - Rodrigues, Jose Carlos

AU - Guijarro, Mercedes

AU - Canellas, Isabel

AU - Sixto, Hortensia

AU - Allona, Isabel

PY - 2017/5/2

Y1 - 2017/5/2

N2 - Early branching or syllepsis has been positively correlated with high biomass yields in short-rotation coppice (SRC) poplar plantations, which could represent an important lignocellulosic feedstock for the production of second-generation bioenergy. In prior work, we generated hybrid poplars overexpressing the chestnut gene RELATED TO ABI3/VP1 1 (CsRAV1), which featured c. 80% more sylleptic branches than non-modified trees in growth chambers. Given the high plasticity of syllepsis, we established a field trial to monitor the performance of these trees under outdoor conditions and a SRC management.We examined two CsRAV1-overexpression poplar events for their ability to maintain syllepsis and their potential to enhance biomass production. Two poplar events with reduced expression of the CsRAV1 homologous poplar genes PtaRAV1 and PtaRAV2 were also included in the trial. Under our culture conditions, CsRAV1-overexpression poplars continued developing syllepsis over two cultivation cycles. Biomass production increased on completion of the first cycle for one of the overexpression events, showing unaltered structural, chemical, or combustion wood properties. On completion of the second cycle, aerial growth and biomass yields of both overexpression events were reduced as compared to the control.These findings support the potential application of CsRAV1-overexpression to increase syllepsis in commercial elite trees without changing their wood quality. However, the syllepsis triggered by the introduction of this genetic modification appeared not to be sufficient to sustain and enhance biomass production.

AB - Early branching or syllepsis has been positively correlated with high biomass yields in short-rotation coppice (SRC) poplar plantations, which could represent an important lignocellulosic feedstock for the production of second-generation bioenergy. In prior work, we generated hybrid poplars overexpressing the chestnut gene RELATED TO ABI3/VP1 1 (CsRAV1), which featured c. 80% more sylleptic branches than non-modified trees in growth chambers. Given the high plasticity of syllepsis, we established a field trial to monitor the performance of these trees under outdoor conditions and a SRC management.We examined two CsRAV1-overexpression poplar events for their ability to maintain syllepsis and their potential to enhance biomass production. Two poplar events with reduced expression of the CsRAV1 homologous poplar genes PtaRAV1 and PtaRAV2 were also included in the trial. Under our culture conditions, CsRAV1-overexpression poplars continued developing syllepsis over two cultivation cycles. Biomass production increased on completion of the first cycle for one of the overexpression events, showing unaltered structural, chemical, or combustion wood properties. On completion of the second cycle, aerial growth and biomass yields of both overexpression events were reduced as compared to the control.These findings support the potential application of CsRAV1-overexpression to increase syllepsis in commercial elite trees without changing their wood quality. However, the syllepsis triggered by the introduction of this genetic modification appeared not to be sufficient to sustain and enhance biomass production.

KW - Poplar

KW - Tree biotechnology

KW - RAV1

KW - Sylleptic branching

KW - Sylleptic branchiness

KW - Lignocellulosic biomass

KW - Field trial

KW - Short-rotation coppice (SRC)

KW - TEM1

U2 - 10.1186/s13068-017-0795-z

DO - 10.1186/s13068-017-0795-z

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 28469706

VL - 10

JO - Biotechnology for Biofuels

JF - Biotechnology for Biofuels

SN - 1754-6834

M1 - 110

ER -