| Abstract Detail
Bio-Energy Crops Chen, Fang [1], Jackson, Lisa A. [2], Shadle, Gail L. [3], Dixon, R. A. [2]. Overcoming recalcitrance for production of liquid biofuels through lignin modification. Lignocellulosic bioenergy crops such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), Miscanthus x giganteus, poplar species and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) hold promise as sustainable sources of biomass for ethanol production. Recalcitrance to saccharification, including the requirement for acid pre-treatment, is recognized as the major limitation to efficient conversion of lignocellulose to ethanol. Accessibility of cell wall polysaccharides to chemical, enzymatic and microbial digestion may be limited by many factors, including the presence of the phenylpropanoid polymer lignin which accumulates in secondary cell walls during development of vascular tissues and fibers. Genes encoding seven enzymes of the monolignol pathway were independently down-regulated in transgenic alfalfa (Medicago sativa) using antisense technology. The relationship between lignin and saccharification of plant cell walls for bioethanol production were investigated to determine the relationships between lignin content/composition and chemical/enzymatic saccharification for bioethanol processing. Our results showed that recalcitrance to saccharification of stem tissues is directly proportional to their lignin content; this relationship applies to both acid pre-treatment and cellulase digestion. Lignin composition does not affect enzymatic saccharification of acid-pretreated tissues. Genetic modification of lignin biosynthesis in alfalfa can improve enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency by 2-fold and possibly eliminate the requirement for costly chemical pretreatment in biofuel production.
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1 - The S.R. Noble Foundation, Plant Biology, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA
2 - The S.R. Noble Foundation, Plant Biology Division
3 - The S.R. Noble Foundation, The Plant Biology
Keywords:
alfalfa
lignin
biofuels
cell wall.
Presentation Type: Plant Biology Abstract
Session: P
Location: Exhibit Hall (Northeast, Southwest & Southeast)/Hilton
Date: Sunday, July 8th, 2007
Time: 8:00 AM
Number: P03007
Abstract ID:1238 |
