Burning lignin: overlooked cues for post-fire seed germination

Dechang Cao; Jerry M Baskin; Carol C Baskin; De-Zhu Li

doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2023.01.011

Burning lignin: overlooked cues for post-fire seed germination

Trends Plant Sci. 2023 Apr;28(4):386-389. doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.01.011. Epub 2023 Feb 18.

Authors

Dechang Cao¹, Jerry M Baskin², Carol C Baskin³, De-Zhu Li⁴

Affiliations

¹ Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China.
² Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0225, USA.
³ Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0225, USA; Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546-0312, USA.
⁴ Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China. Electronic address: DZL@mail.kib.ac.cn.

PMID: 36801194
DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.01.011

Abstract

Information about smoke cues for seed germination is fundamental to understanding fire adaptation. Recently, lignin-derived syringaldehyde (SAL) was identified as a new smoke cue for seed germination, which challenges the assumption that cellulose-derived karrikins are the primary smoke cues. We highlight the overlooked association between lignin and the fire adaptation of plants.

Keywords: fire adaptation; lignin; post-fire germination; pyrogenic carbon; smoke cues.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cues
Fires*
Germination*
Lignin
Seeds
Smoke

Substances

Lignin
Smoke