Variation of microfibril angle and its correlation to wood properties in poplars

The microfibril angle of seven poplar clones was determined by using X-ray diffraction technique. Microfibril angle, wood basic density, fiber length, fiber width and cellulose content were assessed for every growth ring at breast height for all sample trees. Significant variation in microfibril angle was observed among growth rings. Mean microfibril angle (MFA) at breast height varied from 7.8?to 28?between growth rings with cambial age and showed a consistent pith-to-bark trend of decline an-gles. Analysis of variance also indicated that there were significant differences in wood basic density, fiber length, fiber width and cellulose content between the growth rings, which had an increasing tendency from pith to bark. Correlations between MFA and examined wood properties were predominantly large and significant negative (?0.01), and the coefficients were -0.660 for cellulose content, -0.586 for fiber length, -0.516 for fiber width and -0.450 for wood basic density, respectively. Regression analysis with linear and curve estimation indicated that a quadratic function showed the largest R2 and the least standard error for describing the relationships between microfibril angle and measured wood properties, and the correlation coefficients were over -0.45 (n=125). The results from this study suggested that microfibril angle would be a good characteristic for improvement in the future breeding program of poplars.

Progress and Strategies in Cross Breeding of Poplars in China

The advance in intrasection and intersection cross breeding of poplars in China over the past 50 years is reviewed. Great progress has been made in Sections Leuce and Aigeiros, and satisfactory results of intersection hybridization have been achieved in the crossing between Sections Tacamahaca and Aigeiros. The modes of hybridization include single cross, double cross, triple cross, backcross, etc. It is known that using hybrids as parents to cross with other species or hybrids is an effective and easy way to obtain heterosis. Fast growth, cold and drought tolerance, pest and disease resistance, narrow crowns and rootage, etc. are breeding goals. The conventional artificial crossing is still a major breeding method, and a combination of the conventional artificial crossing with physical radiation and chemical induction can create new triploid individuals that possess higher yield potential. The super clones cultivated have already displayed enormous socioeconomic and ecological benefits in practice. Finally, the problems that investigators have to face at present are discussed as well as some strategies in poplar cross breeding in China.

Degradation of atrazine and changes in soil biological indices throughout dendroremediation using poplars

Dendroremediation,a novel strategy for cleaning up contaminants from the environment by using special woody plant species and microbes,is a popular phytoremediation approach.It is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method that is being increasingly adopted.Poplar species(Populus L.)have been suggested for use in remediation because of their characteristics of high biomass production,fast growth,and potential for removing pollutants.Our environment is often contaminated by toxic substances produced by human activities,and remediation of contamination is therefore a global issue.Atrazine is one of the most widely used herbicides in China.In the present study,‘I-69/55’poplar(P.deltoides cv.‘I-69/55’)and hybrid poplar(Populus deltoides×nigra,DN34)grown in pots were assayed for their ability to remediate atrazine-contaminated soils.The degradation dynamics of atrazine were assessed with a high-performance liquid chromatography system using materials from a greenhouse with different rhizosphere environments.We studied the dynamic variation in microbes and microbial biomass carbon to elucidate the rhizosphere effects and mechanism of remediation of atrazine-contaminated soil by poplar.Our four treatments included a control with uncontaminated soil without a tree,atrazine pollution without a tree,atrazine pollution with‘I-69/55’poplar,and atrazine pollution with hybrid poplar.Hybrid poplar showed potential for remediation of atrazine-contaminated soil,and the degradation of atrazine in the rhizosphere was faster than that in non-rhizosphere soil.Atrazine significantly inhibited bacteria growth in nonrhizosphere soil.The high concentration of bacteria in the hybrid poplar rhizosphere might be key to atrazine degradation.Trends of change among fungi and actinomyces did not correspond to trends in atrazine degradation throughout the trial period.Further research is needed to predict the effects of atrazine on cultivable microorganisms in various soils.Atrazine had significant inhibitory effects on microbial biomass carbon in non-rhizosphere soil,and the rhizosphere environment of poplars enhanced the recovery of microbial biomass carbon.The potential for hybrid poplar as a dendroremediation material needs further study.

Stem taper equations for poplars growing on farmland in Sweden

We developed a simple polynomial taper equation for poplars growing on former farmland in Sweden and also evaluated the performance of some well-known taper equations. In Sweden there is an increasing interest in the use of poplar. Effective management of poplar plantations for high yield production would be facilitated by taper equations providing better predictions of stem volume than currently available equations. In the study a polynomial stem taper equation with five parameters was established for individual poplar trees growing on former farmland. The outputs of the polynomial taper equation were compared with five published equations. Data for fitting the equations were collected from 69 poplar trees growing at 37 stands in central and southern Sweden （lat. 55–60° N）. The mean age of the stands was 21 years （range 14–43）, the mean density 984 stems·ha？1 （198–3,493）, and the mean diameter at breast height （outside bark） 25 cm （range 12–40）. To verify the tested equations, performance of accuracy and precision diameter predictions at seven points along the stem was closely analyzed. Statistics used for evaluation of the equations indicated that the variable exponent taper equation presented by Kozak （1988） performed best and can be recommended. The stem taper equation by Kozak （1988） recommended in the study is likely to be beneficial for optimising the efficiency and profitability of poplar plantation management. The constructed polynomial equation and the segmented equation presented by Max ＆ Burkhart （1976） were second and third ranked. Due to the statistical complexity of Kozak’s equation, the constructed polynomial equation is alternatively recommended when a simple model is requested and larger bias is accepted.

Study on Resistance of Poplars to Marssonina brunnea

lnoculation experiment .was made for 15 poplar species to determine their resistance to Mirssonina brunneaby the agar leaf-disc techniquc and the water-culture shoots technique The results show that Populus simonii and nigravar. theveslina are very susceptible to the disease:P. davidiana and P.koreana are slightly reslstant to the disease P. us-suriensis has high resistance. and the others remain moderate resistance. Experiments are also made for healthy leaves toanalysis the inorganic element content and water Content. And the results show that the contents of Fe and Ca are remarkblynegativcly related to the resistance of poplars to Marssonina brunnea.

Importance of oxygen-containing functionalities and pore structures of biochar in catalyzing pyrolysis of homologous poplar

Biochar and bio-oil are produced simultaneously in one pyrolysis process,and they inevitably contact and may interact,influencing the composition of bio-oil and modifying the structure of biochar.In this sense,biochar is an inherent catalyst for pyrolysis.In this study,in order to investigate the influence of functionalities and pore structures of biochar on its capability for catalyzing the conversion of homologous volatiles in bio-oil,three char catalysts(600C,800C,and 800AC)produced via pyrolysis of poplar wood at 600 or 800℃or activated at 800℃,were used for catalyzing pyrolysis of homologous poplar wood at 600℃,respectively.The results indicated that the 600C catalyst was more active than 800C and 800AC for catalyzing cracking of volatiles to form more gas(yield increase by 40.2%)and aromatization of volatiles to form more light or heavy phenolics,due to its abundant oxygen-containing functionalities acting as active sites.The developed pores of the 800AC showed no such catalytic effect but could trap some volatiles and allow their further conversion via sufficient aromatization.Nevertheless,the interaction with the volatiles consumed oxygen on 600C(decrease by 50%),enhancing the aromatic degree and increasing thermal stability.The dominance of deposition of carbonaceous material of a very aromatic nature over 800C and 800AC resulted in net weight gain and blocked micropores but formed additional macropores.The in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy characterization of the catalytic pyrolysis indicated superior activity of 600C for removal of -OH,while conversion of the intermediates bearing C=O was enhanced over all the char catalysts.

The glutamate receptor gene GLR3.3:A bridge of calciummediated root development in poplar

Poplar is one of the fastest-growing temperate trees in the world and is widely used in ornamental horticulture for shade.The root is essential for tree growth and development and its utilization potential is huge.Calcium(Ca),as a signaling molecule,is involved in the regulation of plant root development.However,the detailed underlying regulatory mechanism is elusive.In this study,we analyzed the morphological and transcriptomic variations of 84K poplar(Populus alba×P.glandulosa)in response to different calcium concentrations and found that low Ca^(2+)(1 mmol·L^(-1))promoted lateral root development,while deficiency(0.1 mmol·L^(-1)Ca^(2+))inhibited lateral root development.Co-expression analysis showed that Ca^(2+)channel glutamate receptors(GLRs)were present in various modules with significance for root development.Two GLR paralogous genes,PagGLR3.3a and Pag GLR3.3b,were mainly expressed in roots and up-regulated under Ca^(2+)deficiency.The CRISPR/Cas9-mediated signal gene(crispr-PagGLR3.3a,PagGLR3.3b)and double gene(crispr-PagGLR3.3ab)mutants presented more and longer lateral roots.Anatomical analysis showed that crispr-PagGLR3.3ab plants had more xylem cells and promoted the development of secondary vascular tissues.Further transcriptomic analysis suggested that knockout of PagGLR3.3a and PagGLR3.3b led to the up-regulation of several genes related to protein phosphorylation,auxin efflux,lignin and hemicellulose biosynthesis as well as transcriptional regulation,which might contribute to lateral root growth.This study not only provides novel insight into how the Ca^(2+)channels mediated root growth and development in trees,but also provides a directive breeding of new poplar species for biofuel and bioenergy production.

Factors affecting poplar wetwood characteristics

Wet wood is an abnormal phenomenon in growing trees,which adversely affects growth,subsequent wood processing and economic values of wood products.In this study,the influences of factors such as clones,afforestation methods,site conditions and climate conditions on the characteristics of poplar wetwood were studied through field investigations in 27 clones from 48 sample plots in 28 counties.Results showed that the incidences of wetwood were almost 100%in all plots.Ratios of wetwood area among the48 plots differed from 15.1 to 90.2%.Wetwood area ratios,moisture contents and pH differed significantly between the 27 clones.Wetwood area ratios of the clones ranged from18.7 to 62.3%.Ratios of wetwood areas were positively correlated with wet wood moisture content and pH,tree age,and negatively correlated with pH of sap wood.The repeatability of wet wood area ratios was 0.52,moderately controlled by genetics.Wetwood moisture content and pH were highly controlled by genetics,indicated by the repeatability of 0.91 and 0.89,respectively.There were significant differences in wetwood area ratios,moisture content and pH between different site conditions,afforestation methods,and geographical regions.Sloping land had the lowest wetwood area ratios and moisture content among four types of sites.Afforestation by direct seeding and rooted cuttings had the lowest wetwood area ratios and moisture content,respectively.In the three geographical regions,the Yellow River Basin had the lowest wetwood values of all three factors.

PtrDJ1C,an atypical member of the DJ-1 superfamily,is essential for early chloroplast development and lignin deposition in poplar

The nuclear-encoded factors and the photosynthetic apparatus have been studied extensively during chloroplast biogenesis.However,many questions regarding these processes remain unanswered,particularly in perennial woody plants.As a model material of woody plants,poplar not only has very significant value of research,but also possesses economic and ecological properties.This study reports the Populus trichocarpa DJ-1C(PtrDJ1C)factor,encoded by a nuclear gene,and a member of the DJ-1 superfamily.PtrDJ1C knock-out with the CRISPR/Cas9 system resulted in different albino phenotypes.Chlorophyll fluorescence and immunoblot analyses showed that the levels of photosynthetic complex proteins decreased significantly.Moreover,the transcript level of plastid-encoded RNA polymerase-dependent genes and the splicing efficiency of several introns were affected in the mutant line.Furthermore,rRNA accumulation was abnormal,leading to developmental defects in chloroplasts and affecting lignin accumulation.We concluded that the PtrDJ1C protein is essential for early chloroplast development and lignin deposition in poplar.

Rhizosphere bacterial communities and soil nutrient conditions reveal sexual dimorphism of Populus deltoides

Sexual dimorphism of plants shapes the diff erent morphology and physiology between males and females.However,it is still unclear whether it infl uences belowground ecological processes.In this study,rhizosphere soil of male and female Populus deltoides and bulk soil were collected from an 18-year plantation(male and female trees mix-planted)and grouped into three soil compartments.Soil carbon(C),nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)levels were determined,and soil bacterial communities were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing.The results showed the less total carbon and total organic carbon,the more nutrients(available phosphorus,nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen)available in the rhizosphere soils of female poplars than soils of males.However,α-diversity indices of the rhizosphere bacterial communities under male plants were signifi-cantly higher.Principal component analysis showed that the bacterial communities were signifi cantly diff erent between the male and female soil compartments.Further,the bacterial co-occurrence network in soil under male trees had more nodes and edges than under females.BugBase analysis showed the more functional bacteria taxa related to biofi lm formation and antioxidation under males.The results indicate that soils under male poplars had more diverse and more complex co-occurrence networks of the rhizosphere bacterial community than soils under female trees,implying that male poplars might have better environmental adaptability.The study provides insight into the diff erent soil-microbe interactions of dioecious plants.More details about the infl uencing mechanism of sexual dimorphism on rhizosphere soil bacterial communities need to be further studied.

Selecting the Technology of Sodium Silicate Modified Poplar with the Highest Performance by Fuzzy Orthogonal Method

Sodium silicate modification can improve the overall performance of wood.The modification process has a great influence on the properties of modified wood.In this study,a new method was introduced to analyze the wood modification process,and the properties of modified wood were studied.Poplar wood was modified with sodium silicate by vacuum-pressure impregnation.After screening using single-factor experiments,an orthogonal experiment was carried out with solution concentration,impregnation time,impregnation pressure,and the cycle times as experimental factors.The modified poplar with the best properties was selected by fuzzy mathematics and characterized by SEM,FT-IR,XRD and TG.The results showed that some lignin and hemicellulose were removed from the wood due to the alkaline action of sodium silicate,and the orderly crystal area of poplar became disorderly,resulting in the reduction of crystallinity of the modified poplar wood.FT-IR analysis showed that sodium silicate was hydrolyzed to form polysilicic acid in wood,and structural analysis revealed the formation of Si-O-Si and Si-O-C,indicating that sodium silicate reacted with fibers on the wood cell wall.TG-DTG curves showed that the final residual mass of modified poplar wood increased from 25%to 67%,and the temperature of the maximum loss rate decreased from 343℃ to 276℃.The heat release and smoke release of modified poplar wood decreased obviously.This kind of material with high strength and fire resistance can be used in the outdoor building and indoor furniture.

Effects of site conditions on growth and wood properties of Populus×euramericana cv.'74/76'

The growth and wood properties of 240 individual Populus×euramericana cv.’74/76’(hereafter poplar 107)trees planted in Hebei Plain,China was evaluated.Mean annual increments in height,breast height diameter and volume,as well as cellulose,hemicellulose and lignin contents,shrinkage,density,bending strength and modulus of elasticity in the heart wood and sap wood.Environmental factors influencing growth and wood properties were analyzed using correlation and stepwise regres sion.The results show that the coefficients of variation(CVs)of growth traits ranged from 10.6 to 22.4%.The CVs of the chemical properties of heartwood ranged from 4.3 to 30.2%,and for sap wood from 3.2 to 27.5%.The CVs of the physical and mechanical properties of heartwood ranged from 8.6 to 31.7%,and for sapwood from 6.4 to 29.9%.The results of one-way ANOVA showed that there were significant differences in growth traits and wood properties among sites.Soil pH,total and available phosphorus,total potassium,and soil organic matter were key soil factors affecting growth and wood properties of poplar 107,whereas mean annual ground temperatures and precipitation were the main climatic factors.To better cultivate poplar 107,area with less annual rainfall,slightly higher temperature and soil pH value close to neutral should be selected.

Evaluation of Water Transfer Capacity of Poplar with Pectinase Treated under the Solar Interface Evaporation

Poplar wood,which was used as the absorption material for the solar-driven interfacial evaporation,was treated for 3 days,6 days and 9 days with the pectinase,and then was simulated for photothermal evaporation test at one standard solar radiation intensity(1 kW⋅m^(−2)).The effects of pectinase treatment on cell passage and water migration capacity of poplars were analyzed by the mercury intrusion porosimetry,the scanning electron microscope and fractal theory.It was found that the pit membrane and the ray parenchyma cells of poplar wood were degraded and destroyed after pectinase treatment.Compared with the untreated poplar wood,the evaporation rate of three sections of the specimen was changed.Especially the evaporation rate of radial and tangential direction was significantly increased.At the same time,based on the experimental data and fractal dimension deduction,fractal characteristics could be found in that the structure of poplars treated with pectinase.The porosity decreased with the increase of the fractal dimension in a certain range.It was shown that it is feasible to evaluate solar-driven water migration capacity by using fractal theory.

Function identification of miR159a,a positive regulator during poplar resistance to drought stress

Drought seriously affects the growth and development of plants.MiR159 is a highly conserved and abundant microRNA family that plays a crucial role in plant growth and stress responses.However,studies of its function in woody plants are still lacking.Here,the expression of miR159a was significantly upregulated after drought treatment in poplar,and the overexpression of miR159a(OX159a)significantly reduced the open area of the stomata and improved water-use efficiency in poplar.After drought treatment,OX159a lines had better scavenging ability of reactive oxygen species and damage of the membrane system was less than that in wild-type lines.MYB was the target gene of miR159a,as verified by psRNATarget prediction,RT-qPCR,degradome sequencing,and 5′rapid amplification of cDNA ends(5′RACE).Additionally,miR159a-short tandem target mimic suppression(STTM)poplar lines showed increased sensitivity to drought stress.Transcriptomic analysis comparing OX159a lines with wild-type lines revealed upregulation of a series of genes related to response to water deprivation and metabolite synthesis.Moreover,drought-responsive miR172d and miR398 were significantly upregulated and downregulated respectively in OX159a lines.This investigation demonstrated that miR159a played a key role in the tolerance of poplar to drought by reducing stomata open area,increasing the number and total area of xylem vessels,and enhancing water-use efficiency,and provided new insights into the role of plant miR159a and crucial candidate genes for the molecular breeding of trees with tolerance to drought stress.

A Primary Study on Mechanical Properties of Heat-Treated Wood via in-situ Synthesis of Calcium Carbonate

This study aims to improve the value of fast-growing wood and extend the heat-treated wood utilization using inorganic calcium carbonate(CaCO_(3))crystals via an in-situ synthesis method.CaCl_(2)and Na 2CO_(3)solutions with a concentration ratio of 1:1 were successively introduced into the thermally modified poplar wood obtained by steam heat treatment(HT)at 200℃for 1.5 and 3 h,resulting in the in-situ synthesis of CaCO_(3)crystals inside the heat-treated wood.The filling effect was best at the concentration of 1.2 mol/L.CaCO_(3)was uniformly distributed in the cell cavities of the heat-treated wood,and some of the crystals were embedded in the fissures of the wood cell walls.The morphology of CaCO_(3)crystals was mainly spherical and rhombic polyhedral.Three main types of CaCO_(3)crystals were calcite,vaterite,and aragonite.The HT of poplar wood at 200℃resulted in degrading the chemical components of the wood cell wall.This degradation led to reduced wood mechanical properties,including the surface hardness(HD),modulus of rupture(MOR),and modulus of elasticity(MOE).After CaCO_(3)was in-situ synthesized in the heat-treated wood,the HD increased by 18.36%and 16.35%,and MOR increased by 14.64%and 8.89%,respectively.Because of the CaCO_(3)synthesization,the char residue of the 200℃heat-treated wood samples increased by 9.31%and the maximum weight loss rate decreased by 19.80%,indicating that the filling with CaCO_(3)cannot only improve the mechanical properties of the heat-treated wood but also effectively enhance its thermal stability.

Experimental Study of Mode-I and Mode-II Interlaminar Fracture Characteristics of Poplar LVL

Fracture is a common failure form of poplar laminated veneer lumber(LVL).In the present work,we performed an experimental study on the mode-I along-grain interlaminar fracture,mode-I cross-grain interlaminar fracture,and mode-II interlaminar fracture of poplar LVL.We investigated stress mechanisms,failure modes,and fracture toughness values of the different fracture types.The experimental results revealed that the crack in the mode-I along-grain interlaminar fracture specimen propagated along the prefabricated crack direction,and the crack tip broke.The mode-I cross-grain interlaminar fracture specimen had cracks in the vertical direction near the prefabricated crack.In the mode-II interlaminar fracture specimen,cracks appeared along the initial prefabricated crack direction.The load–displacement curves of these three specimens were linear in the early stage of loading.With the increase in the load,a nonlinear segment appeared before crack propagation and a descending segment appeared after crack propagation.The nonlinear segments of the mode-I along-grain interlaminar fracture and mode-II interlaminar fracture were very short,and cracks expanded quickly after their initiation,resulting in brit-tle fracture.The nonlinear segment of the mode-I cross-grain interlaminar fracture was long,resulting in plastic failure.The average toughness values of the mode-I along-grain interlaminar fracture,mode-I cross-grain inter-laminar fracture,and mode-II interlaminar fracture were 15.43,270.15,and 39.72 MPa·mm^(1/2),respectively.

Studies of Transgenic Hybrid Poplar 741 Carrying Two Insect-resistant Genes

Partially modified Bt Cry1Ac gene and the arrowhead proteinase inhibitor (API) gene were used to construct a plant transformation vector pBtiA and this construct was transferred into the genome of the hybrid poplar 741 [ Populus alba L.×( P. davidiana Dode+ P. simonii Carr.)× P. tomentosa Carr.] by Agrobacterium _ mediated transformation. Ten kanamycin resistant plants have been regenerated. Upon insect bioassay using Clostera anachoreta (Fabricius), three of the examined plants were demonstrated to be highly resistant to the testing insects. The mortality of insect larvae on one plant was higher than 90% in 6 days after infestation and the growth of the survival larvae were seriously inhibited. Results of PCR and Southern blot analysis indicated that both Bt Cry1Ac gene and API gene were integrated as a single copy into the genomes of these three plants when Cry1Ac gene fragment was used as the probe. Protein dot blot immunoassay and ELISA analysis revealed that at least the Cry1Ac protein was produced in these three transgenic plants and the expression levels were estimated to be approximately 0.015% of the leaf total soluble protein. This is the first report on insect resistant transgenic hybrid poplar 741 that expresses two insecticidal protein genes.

Cloning of cDNA Encoding COMT from Chinese White Poplar ( Populus tomentosa ), Sequence Analysis and Specific Expression

The cDNA fragment encoding caffeic acid 3_O_methyltransferase (COMT) in Chinese white poplar ( Populus tomentosa Carr.) was isolated and cloned by RT_PCR technique. The size of the cDNA fragment is 1 080 bp, which almost covers the whole cDNA_encoding region. Authors’ cDNA fragment in P. tomentosa shares 98.7% homology with the reported corresponding cDNA in the P. tremuloids at nucleotide level, 99.4% homology at amino acid level, respectively. The analysis of Northern dot hybridization showed that COMT is expressed specifically in the developing secondary xylem of stem during the season of xylem differentiation, which means the linkage between the gene expression for a monolignol biosynthetic enzyme and seasonal regulation of xylem development in woody plant.

Analysis of Codon Usage Between Different Poplar Species

Codon usage is the selective and nonrandom use of synonymous codons to encode amino acids in genes for proteins. The analysis of codon usage may improve the understanding of cocion preferences between different species and allow to rebuild the codons of exogenous genes to increase the expression efficiency of exogenous genes, Here, codon DNA sequence （CDS） of four poplar species, including Populus tremuloides Michx., P. tomentosa Carr., P. deltoides Marsh., and P. trichocarpa Torr. ＆ Gray., is used to analyze the relative frequency of synonymous codon （RFSC）. High-frequency codons are selected by high-frequency （HF） codon analysis. The results indicate that the codon usage is common for all four poplar species and the codon preference is quite similar among the four poplar species. However, CCT encoding for Pro, and ACT coding for Thr are the preferred codons in P. tremuloides and P. tomentosa, whereas CCA coding for Pro, and ACA coding for Thr are preferred in P. deltoides and P. trichocarpa The codons such as TGC coding for Cys, TTC coding for Phe, and AAG coding for Lys, are preferred in the poplar species except P trichocarpa. GAG coding for Glu is preferred only in P deltoides, while the other three poplar species prefer to use GAA. The commonness of preferred codon allows exogenous gene designed by the preferred cocion of one of the different poplar species to be used in other poplar species.

Effects of two kinds of transgenic poplar on protective enzymes system in the midgut of larvae of American white moth

The leaves of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) transgenic poplar (Populus nigra L.) and CpTI (Cowpea trypsin inhibitor) transgenic poplar ((P. tomentosa×P. bolleana)×P. Tomentosa) were taken to feed the 4th-5th-instar larvae of American white moth (Hyphantria cunea (Drury)) for determination of the activities of the protective enzyme system inside larvae’s body. The physiological and biochemical effects of the transgenic poplars on the larvae were studied. The results showed that the two kinds of transgenic poplars had similar effects on the protective enzyme system in the midgut of larvae. The activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase in midgut of the larvae increased gradually, reached the highest value at a certain time, and then decreased suddenly. For the larvae that were fed with the leaves of Bt transgenic poplar, the peak value of superoxide dismutase and catalase presented at the time of 24-h feeding, while the peak of peroxidase took place at the time of 12-h feeding. The activities of these protective enzymes for the larvae that were fed with leaves of CpTI transgenic poplar peaked 12 h later than that of those fed with leaves of Bt transgenic poplar. The comparison of activities of the protective enzymes was also carried out between the larvae with different levels of intoxication. It was found that the activities of protective enzyme of the seriously intoxicant larvae were higher than that of the lightly intoxicant larvae. This difference was more obvious in the group treated with CpTI transgenic poplar.