Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Wood

The biochemistry and molecular biology of wood is important to elucidate the characteristics of wood as a biomaterial. For the understanding of the properties of wood and wood components, it is necessary to investigate the characterization of genes encoding enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of wood components, the differentiation of the cambium into phloem and xylem, and the mechanisms of the expression of these genes. The author gives an overview of the rapidly progressing research in the relatively new field of molecular biology of trees and wood.