Abstract
Plant laccases are thought to function in the oxidation of monolignols which leads to higher order lignin formation. Only a hand-full of laccases in plants have been functionally evaluated and as such little is known about the breadth of their impact on cell wall chemistry or structure. Here we describe a previously uncharacterized laccase from Populus, encoded by locus Potri.008G064000, whose reduced expression resulted in transgenic Populus trees with changes in syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) ratios as well as altered sugar release phenotypes. These phenotypes are consistent with plant biomass exhibiting reduced recalcitrance. Interestingly, the transgene effect on recalcitrance is dependent on a mild pretreatment prior to chemical extraction of sugars. Metabolite profiling suggests the transgene modulates phenolics that are associated with the cell wall structure. We propose that this particular laccase has a range of functions related to oxidation of phenolics and conjugation of flavonoids that interact with lignin in the cell wall.
Original language | American English |
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Pages (from-to) | 2010-2020 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Plant Biotechnology Journal |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2016 |
NREL Publication Number
- NREL/JA-5100-66207
Keywords
- biofuel
- cell wall
- lignin
- Populus
- recalcitrance
- xylose