Journal Article

Engineering monolignol p-coumarate conjugates into Poplar and Arabidopsis lignins

Smith, Rebecca A, Gonzales-Vigil, Eliana, Karlen, Steven D, Park, Ji-Young, Wilkerson, Curtis, Samuels, A. Lacey, Lu, Fachuang, Ralph, John, Mansfield, Shawn D.

2015

Overview

Lignin acylation, the decoration of hydroxyls on lignin structural units with acyl groups, is common in many plant species. Monocot lignins are decorated with p-coumarates by the polymerization of monolignol p-coumarate conjugates. The acyltransferase involved in the formation of these conjugates has been identified in a number of model monocot species, but the effect of monolignol p-coumarate conjugates on lignification and plant growth and development has not yet been examined in plants that do not inherently possess p-coumarates on their lignins. The rice (Oryza sativa) p-COUMAROYL-Coenzyme A MONOLIGNOL TRANSFERASE gene was introduced into two eudicots, Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and poplar (Populus alba × grandidentata), and a series of analytical methods was used to show the incorporation of the ensuing monolignol p-coumarate conjugates into the lignin of these plants. In poplar, specifically, the addition of these conjugates did not occur at the expense of the naturally incorporated monolignol p-hydroxybenzoates. Plants expressing the p-COUMAROYL-Coenzyme A MONOLIGNOL TRANSFERASE transgene can therefore produce monolignol p-coumarate conjugates essentially without competing with the formation of other acylated monolignols and without drastically impacting normal monolignol production.

• Publisher: American Society of Plant Biologists
• Subject: Acyltransferases - genetics / Acyltransferases - metabolism / Arabidopsis - genetics / Arabidopsis - metabolism / Cell Wall - genetics / Cell Wall - metabolism / Chromatography, Gas / Coumaric Acids - chemistry / Coumaric Acids - metabolism / Lignin - chemistry / Lignin - metabolism / Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Mass Spectrometry / Metabolic Engineering - methods / Oryza - enzymology / Oryza - genetics / Plant Proteins - genetics / Plant Proteins - metabolism / Plants, Genetically Modified / Populus - genetics / Populus - metabolism / Propionates / Reproducibility of Results