Direct evidence for α ether linkage between lignin and carbohydrates in wood cell walls

Cross-linking between lignin and polysaccharide in plant cell-wall determines physical, chemical, and biological features of lignocellulosic biomass. Since Erdmann’s first report in 1866, numerous studies have suggested the presence of a bond between hemicelluloses and lignin; however, no clear evidence for this interaction has been reported. We describe the first direct proof of covalent bonding between plant cell-wall polysaccharides and lignin. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to observe the long-range correlations through an α-ether bond between lignin and the primary hydroxyl group of a mannose residue in glucomannan. Complete signal assignment of the cognate structural units was also achieved. Thus, we identified lignin–carbohydrate bonds by complete connectivity analysis from the phenylpropane unit to the carbohydrate moiety.