Lignin reduction and cellulose increase in crop biomass via genetic engineering

• US 20080235820A1
• Filed: 03/21/2008
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Board of Trustees of Michigan State University (Michigan State University)
• Original Assignee: The Board of Trustees of Michigan State University (Michigan State University)
• Inventors: Sticklen, Masomeh B.
• Application Number:
  US12/077,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20080235820A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 800/275
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8218 Antisense, co-suppression, viral induced gene silencing [VIGS], post-transcriptional induced gene silencing [PTGS]
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8246 Non-starch polysaccharides, e.g. cellulose, fructans, levans
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8255 involving lignin biosynthesis
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

A transgenic maize plant and methods of using the transgenic maize plant having at least a portion of a coding region of one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes. In one embodiment, the transgenic plant expresses short interfering RNA (siRNA) for the one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes that forms a double-strand to activate RNA interference (RNAi). The RNAi decreases expression of the one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes in the transgenic plant. In a second embodiment, the transgenic plant has a cDNA for the one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes to increase expression of the one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes in the transgenic plant.

Claims

1. A transgenic maize plant having at least one DNA comprising:

(a) at least one promoter capable of promoting transcription in the transgenic plant; and

(b) at least a portion of a coding region of one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes operably linked to the promoter.

2. The transgenic plant of claim 1, wherein the transgenic plant expresses short interfering RNA (siRNA) for the one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes that forms a double-strand to activate RNA interference (RNAi) that decreases expression of the one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes in the transgenic plant.

3. The transgenic plant of claim 1, wherein the DNA is a cDNA, wherein the transgenic plant expresses the cDNA so as to increase expression of the one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes in the transgenic plant.

4. The transgenic plant of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes are selected from the group consisting of PAL, C4H, C3H, COMT, AldOMT, F5H, CAld5H, 4CL, CCR, CCoA-3H, CCoA-OMT, CAD and laccase.

5. The transgenic plant of claim 1, wherein the promoter is a constitutive promoter.

6. The transgenic plant of claim 5, wherein the promoter is Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35S Promoter (CaMV 35S).

7. The transgenic plant of claim 1, wherein the DNA further comprises a translational enhancer.

8. The transgenic plant of claim 7, wherein the translational enhancer is Tobacco Mosaic Virus Q translational enhancer.

9. The transgenic plant of claim 1, wherein the DNA further comprises a polyadenylation signal.

10. The transgenic plant of claim 9, wherein the polyadenylation signal is nopaline synthase (Nos) polyadenylation signal.

11. A method for decreasing lignin production or modifying the configuration of lignin in a transgenic maize plant comprising:

(a) providing a transgenic maize plant having at least one DNA comprising at least one promoter capable of promoting transcription in the transgenic plant, and at least a portion of a coding region of one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes operably linked to the promoter; and

(b) growing the transgenic plant for a time so that the transgenic plant expresses short interfering RNA (siRNA) for the one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes that form a double-strand and activate RNA interference (RNAi) to decrease expression of the one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes in the transgenic plant.

12. A method for producing a ground plant material comprising:

(a) providing a transgenic maize plant having at least one DNA comprising at least one promoter capable of promoting transcription in the transgenic plant, and at least a portion of a coding region of one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes operably linked to the promoter;

(b) growing the transgenic plant for a time so that the transgenic plant expresses short interfering RNA (siRNA) for the one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes that form a double-strand and activate RNA interference (RNAi) to decrease expression of the one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes in the transgenic plant;

(c) harvesting the transgenic plant; and

(d) grinding the transgenic plant to provide the ground plant material.

13. A method for converting a transgenic plant to fermentable sugars comprising:

(a) providing a transgenic maize plant having at least one DNA comprising at least one promoter capable of promoting transcription in the transgenic plant, and at least a portion of a coding region of one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes operably linked to the promoter;

(b) growing the transgenic plant for a time so that the transgenic plant expresses short interfering RNA (siRNA) for the one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes that form a double-strand and activate RNA interference (RNAi) to decrease expression of the one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes in the transgenic plant;

(c) harvesting the transgenic plant;

(d) grinding the transgenic plant to provide the ground plant material;

(e) incubating the ground plant material in one or more cell wall degrading enzymes to produce the fermentable sugars from lignocellulose in the ground plant material; and

(f) extracting the fermentable sugars produced from the lignocellulosic material.