Transgenic cover plants containing hemicellulase and cellulase which degrade lignin and cellulose to fermentable sugars
First Claim
1. A method for providing transgenic plant material from a cover crop with low amounts of lignin, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a transgenic monocot plant which is the low-lignin cover crop which includes (i) at least one DNA encoding a cellulase and hemicellulase which is operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a signal peptide wherein the signal peptide directs the cellulase to an organelle of the transgenic monocot plant and (ii) at least one DNA encoding a ligninase which is operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a signal peptide wherein the signal peptide directs the ligninase to the organelle of the transgenic monocot plant;
(b) growing the transgenic monocot plant for a time sufficient for the transgenic monocot plant to accumulate a sufficient amount of the cellulase, the hemicellulase, the ligninase in sub-cellular compartments of the transgenic monocot plant; and
(c) harvesting the transgenic monocot plant which has accumulated the cellulase, the hemicellulase, the ligninase in the sub-cellular compartments of the transgenic monocot plant.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides transgenic cover crop plants which after harvest degrade the hemicellulose and cellulose therein to fermentable sugars which can further be fermented to ethanol or other products. In particular, the transgenic plants comprise cellulase, hemicellulase and optionally ligninase genes from microbes operably linked to a DNA encoding a signal peptide which targets the fusion polypeptide produced therefrom to an organelle of the plant, in particular, the chloroplasts. When the transgenic plants are harvested, the plants are ground to release the hemicellulase and cellulase which then degrade the hemicellulose and cellulose of the transgenic plants to produce the fermentable sugars.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for providing transgenic plant material from a cover crop with low amounts of lignin, the method comprising:
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(a) providing a transgenic monocot plant which is the low-lignin cover crop which includes (i) at least one DNA encoding a cellulase and hemicellulase which is operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a signal peptide wherein the signal peptide directs the cellulase to an organelle of the transgenic monocot plant and (ii) at least one DNA encoding a ligninase which is operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a signal peptide wherein the signal peptide directs the ligninase to the organelle of the transgenic monocot plant; (b) growing the transgenic monocot plant for a time sufficient for the transgenic monocot plant to accumulate a sufficient amount of the cellulase, the hemicellulase, the ligninase in sub-cellular compartments of the transgenic monocot plant; and (c) harvesting the transgenic monocot plant which has accumulated the cellulase, the hemicellulase, the ligninase in the sub-cellular compartments of the transgenic monocot plant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for providing transgenic plant material from a cover crop with low amounts of lignin, the method comprising:
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(a) growing and harvesting a first cash crop on a plot of land; (b) providing a transgenic monocot plant which is the low-lignin cover crop which includes at (i) least one DNA encoding a cellulase and hemicellulase which is operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a signal peptide wherein the signal peptide directs the cellulase to an organelle of the transgenic monocot plant and (ii) optionally at least one DNA encoding a ligninase which is operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a signal peptide wherein the signal peptide directs the ligninase to the organelle of the transgenic monocot plant; (c) growing the transgenic monocot plant on the plot (i) during a winter season, (ii) subsequent to the harvesting of the first cash crop from the plot, and (iii) for a time sufficient for the transgenic monocot plant to accumulate a sufficient amount of the cellulase, the hemicellulase, and the ligninase if present in sub-cellular compartments of the transgenic monocot plant; and (d) harvesting the transgenic monocot plant which has accumulated the cellulase, the hemicellulase, and the ligninase if present in the sub-cellular compartments of the transgenic monocot plant. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification