Macromolecular replication during lignin biosynthesis

It is proposed that, during the final step in lignin biosynthesis, macromolecular primary structure is replicated by the direct action of an antiparallel double-stranded lignin template. Lignol radicals about to undergo coupling interact noncovalently with the aromatic rings of the dimeric substructure being copied in the proximal template strand. The process is controlled by strong intermolecular forces arising from dynamical electron correlation in the interacting π-orbitals.