Conserved macromolecular architecture of poplar secondary cell walls revealed by ssNMR and atomistic modeling

The macromolecular architecture of plant secondary cell walls governs wood’s mechanical and biochemical properties, yet its natural intra-species variability remains poorly characterized. Here, we combined ¹³C solid-state NMR (ssNMR), multivariate statistical analysis, and molecular modeling to profile nanoscale structure across 13 genetically diverse Populus trichocarpa genotypes grown in ¹³C-enriched atmospheres. SsNMR-derived phenotypes spanning composition, structure, mobility, and inter-polymer proximities reveal a conserved architecture, with a subtle yet coordinated variation organizing into dominant structural and secondary mobility axes. A representative atomistic model captures these features and reproduces experimental metrics. Molecular dynamics simulations support a weak but consistent positive correlation between cellulose abundance and crystalline-like order, with interior cellulose chains enriched in tg (trans–gauche) conformations without expanding crystalline cores. Together, experiment and simulation reveal a genetically buffered, broadly conserved nanoscale architecture across genotypes, where subtle fine-tuning of cellulose bundling and matrix packing balances mechanical performance with biological function. Plant secondary cell wall architecture determines wood’s biomechanical properties. Here via NMR and atomistic modelling, the authors show that secondary cell wall nanoscale architecture is broadly conserved in 13 genetically diverse poplar trees but fine-tuned through subtle changes in cellulose bundling.