Suitability of Peroxidase-Suppressed Transgenic Hybrid Aspen (Populus sieboldii X Populus gradidentata) for Pulping

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Abstract
Summary: Lignin content, lignin composition and lignin removal were investigated in hybrid aspen (Populus sieboldii X Populus gradidentata) with suppressed peroxidase (POX) contents, involved in the dehydrogenative polymerization of monolignols. No significant suppression of the lignin content of the transgenic hybrid aspen was observed, but one (POX 29) of the POX-suppressed hybrid aspen species had a lower lignin content and gave a higher pulp yield at the same lignin content in kraft pulping than the control wild type. The molecular weight distribution of kraft lignins, sugar compositions and yields of nitrobenzene oxidation products of the transgenic woods were not different from those of the wild-type wood. These results indicate that suppression of POX may hold promise for producing woods suited for milder kraft pulping conditions using less chemicals and lower pulping temperature.