We recorded HSQC NMR spectra using a Bruker AVANCE 600 NMR spectrometer equipped with a Cry-oProbe. We dissolved approximately 80 mg of each sample in 0.6 ml dimethyl sulfoxide-d 6 (DMSO). We set an acquisition time of 77.8 ms for the 1H-dimension and collected 36 scans per block using 1024 complex data points. For the 13C-dimension, we set the acquisition time to 3.94 ms, and recorded 256 time increments. We then processed the 2D HSQC NMR data (1024 × 1024 data points) by applying a QSINE window function to both the 1H and 13C dimensions. For calibration, we used the DMSO peak at δC = 39.5 ppm, δH = 2.49 ppm. To quantify the specific lignin moieties, we carried out volume integration of the HSQC spectra of the acetoneextracted lignin (Fig. ). This procedure is described in greater detail elsewhere . The intensity of the signals is expressed in mol%, i.e., per 100 aromatic units (Ar) assuming the sum of the signals of guaiacyl-(G) and syringyl-(S) units as 100% from their characteristic CH signals at G 2 and S 2,6 positions, correspondingly: