Paul F. Schatz

TL;DR: A recent challenge to the currently accepted theory of chemically controlled lignification, attempting to bring lignin into line with more organized biopolymers such as proteins, is logically inconsistent with the most basic details of the structure.

TL;DR: New dehydrodimers have been authenticated, expanding knowledge of the chemistry, role, and extent of cross-linking reactions, and whether these trimers truly cross-link three independent polysaccharide chains or only two remains to be determined.

TL;DR: It is concluded that the challenger fails to displace the existing Freudenberg theory of chemically-controlled combinatorial synthesis, or for the new contender advocating absolute proteinaceous control, and the existing theory is growing stronger as it successfully withstands such attacks.

TL;DR: 2D NMR of dissolved cell wall samples combined with multivariate analysis constitutes a novel approach in cell wall analysis and provides a new tool that will benefit cell wall research.

TL;DR: Overall, monolignol substitutes improved the inherent degradability of non-pretreated cell walls by restricting lignification or possibly by reducing lignin hydrophobicity or cross-linking to structural polysaccharides.