Key gene regulating cell wall biosynthesis and recalcitrance in;, gene Y

• US 9,206,436 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Original Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Inventors: Tuskan, Gerald A., Chen, Jay, Engle, Nancy L., Gunter, Lee E., Jawdy, Sara, Tschaplinski, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abraham, Amjad
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, RYAN
• Application Number:
  US14/136,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20140182013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8218 Antisense, co-suppression, viral induced gene silencing [VIGS], post-transcriptional induced gene silencing [PTGS]
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8255 involving lignin biosynthesis
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/1029 transferring groups other than amino-acyl groups (2.3.1)

Abstract

This disclosure provides methods and transgenic plants for improved production of renewable biofuels and other plant-derived biomaterials by altering the expression and/or activity of Gene Y, an O-acetyltransferase. This disclosure also provides expression vectors containing a nucleic acid (Gene Y) which encodes the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1 and is operably linked to a heterologous promoter.

Claims

1. An expression vector comprising a nucleic acid encoding a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:

1, wherein the nucleic acid is operably linked to a heterologous promoter.

2. The expression vector of claim 1, wherein the heterologous promoter is an inducible promoter or a tissue-specific promoter.

3. The expression vector of claim 2, wherein the tissue-specific promoter is a xylem-specific promoter.

4. A transgenic plant transformed with the expression vector of claim 1.

5. The transgenic plant of claim 4, wherein the heterologous promoter is an inducible promoter or a tissue-specific promoter.

6. The transgenic plant of claim 5, wherein the tissue-specific promoter is a xylem-specific promoter.

7. A method of increasing the ratio of syringyl to guaiacyl subunits in a plant;

said method comprising the step of transforming the plant with the expression vector of claim 1.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the heterologous promoter is an inducible promoter or a tissue-specific promoter.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the tissue-specific promoter is a xylem-specific promoter.