- Written by Ivan Dulgerov
Dr. Evgeniy Donev
Position: Postdoctoral researcher
Department: Molecular Stress Physiology, CPSBB
The main area of Donev’s research is understanding the intricate processes involved in plant cell wall structure and composition, as well as the regulatory pathways governing these processes. He has addressed several problems important for improving model woody species – hybrid aspen hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. × tremuloides Michx.), for biorefinery and biofuel production, by investigating a collection of xylan modified lines, grown both in greenhouse and in field conditions. The use of aspen model system is justified by the possibility of analyzing relatively homogenous tissues which is difficult for model plants like Arabidopsis. Restricted expression of xylan-modifying enzymes specifically in the wood by tissue specific promotor allows xylem cell-specific chemical modifications. Xylan modification has been previously shown to increase the resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, and it is an unexplored yet solution for growth stimulation, and stress adaptation. In the current project, secondary cell wall (SCW) priming, Donev investigate the effects of such modifications to drought and extreme temperature stresses.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:
Urbancsok J., Donev EN., Derba-Maceluch M., Sivan P., Barbut F.R., Mitra M., Yassin Z., Cermanová K., Šimura J., Karady M., Scheepers G., Mellerowicz E.J.(2025) Wood-specific modification of glucuronoxylan can enhance growth in Populus. Journal of Experimental Botany. DOI: 64. doi: 10.1093/jxb/eraf364. (IF 5.7)
Urbancsok J1, Donev EN1, Sivan P, van Zalen E, Barbut F, Debra-Maceluch M, Simura J;, Yassin Z, Gandla M, Karady M, Ljung K, Winestrand S, Jönsson LJ, Scheepers G, Delhomme N, Street N, Mellerowicz EJ. Transcriptome and hormonal responses to stem flexing reveal jasmonates, polyamines and other novel players in flexure wood formation in hybrid aspen. New Phytologist. accepted, 1-shared first authorship – First report on impact of stem swaying on growth enhancement and wood properties, with identification of novel hormonal pathways involved.
Donev EN, Derba-Maceluch M, Yassin Z, Gandla ML, Pramod S, Heinonen E, Kumar V, Scheepers G, Vilaplana F, Johansson U, Hertzberg M, Sundberg B, Winestrand S, Hörnberg A, Alriksson B, Jönsson LJ, Mellerowicz EJ. (2023) Field testing of transgenic aspen from large greenhouse screening identifies unexpected winners. Plant Biotechnology Journal. 21(5):1005-1021, 2023 Jan 20. doi: 10.1111/pbi.14012. – Discovery of unknown function gene that positively impacts saccharification of field-produced wood, also in semi-industrial process
Derba-Maceluch M, Sivan P, Donev EN, Gandla ML, Yassin Z, Vaasan R, Heinonen E, Andersson S, Amini F, Scheepers G, Johansson U, Vilaplana FJ, Albrectsen BR, Hertzberg M, Jönsson LJ and Mellerowicz EJ (2023) Impact of xylan on field productivity and wood saccharification properties in aspen. Frontiers in Plant Science. 14:1218302. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1218302 – First reports on xylan-modified lines tested in the field
Derba-Maceluch M, Mitra M, Hedenström M, Liu X, Gandla ML, Barbut FR, Abreu IN, Donev EN, Urbancsok J, Moritz T, Jönsson LJ, Tsang A, Powlowski J, Master ER, Mellerowicz EJ. (2023) Xylan glucuronic acid side chains fix suberin-like aliphatic compounds to wood cell walls. New Phytologist. 238(1):297-312. doi: 10.1111/nph.18712. -Discovery of suberin-like compounds in the wood and their dependence on xylan
Dominguez PG, Donev E, Derba-Maceluch M, Bünder A, Hedenström M, Tomášková I, Mellerowicz EJ, Niittylä T (2021) Sucrose synthase determines carbon allocation in developing wood and alters carbon flow at the whole tree level in aspen. New Phytologist. 229: 186–198. doi: 10.1111/nph.16721 – First field testing of sucrose synthase modified plants in the field
Kumar V, Donev EN, Barbut FR, Kushwah S, Mannapperuma C, Urbancsok J and Mellerowicz EJ (2020) Genome-Wide Identification of Populus Malectin/Malectin-Like Domain-Containing Proteins and Expression Analyses Reveal Novel Candidates for Signaling and Regulation of Wood Development. Frontiers in Plant Science. 11:588846. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2020.588846
Derba-Maceluch M, Amini F, Donev EN, Pawar PM-A, Michaud L, Johansson U, Albrectsen BR and Mellerowicz EJ (2020) Cell wall acetylation in hybrid aspen affects field performance, foliar phenolic composition and resistance to biological stress factors in a construct-dependent fashion. Frontiers in Plant Science. 11:651. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00651- First reports on xylan-modified lines tested in the field – part 1
Donev E, Gandla ML, Jönsson LJ, Mellerowicz EJ. 2018. Engineering non-cellulosic polysaccharides of wood for the biorefinery. Frontiers in Plant Science. 9:1537. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01537. A review
