Abstract
Lignin, a cross-linked macromolecule of hydrophobic aromatic structure, provides additional rigidity to a plant cell wall. Although it is an integral part of the plant cell, presence of lignin considerably reduces the quality of the fiber of fiber-yielding plants. Decreasing lignin in such plants holds significant commercial and environmental potential. This study aimed at reducing the lignin content in jute-a fiber crop, by introducing hpRNA-based vectors for downregulation of two monolignoid biosynthetic genes- cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H) and caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT). Transgenic generations, analyzed through Southern, RT-PCR and northern assays showed downregulation of the selected genes. Transgenic lines exhibited reduced level of gene expression with ~ 16–25% reduction in acid insoluble lignin for the whole stem and ~13–14% reduction in fiber lignin content compared to the control lines. Among the two transgenic plant types one exhibited an increase in cellulose content and concomitant improvement of glucose release. Composition of the lignin building blocks was found to alter and this alteration resulted in a pattern, different from other plants where the same genes were manipulated. It is expected that successful COMT-hpRNA and C4H-hpRNA transgenesis in jute will have far-reaching commercial implications leading to product diversification and value addition.
Highlights
Lignin, a cross-linked macromolecule of hydrophobic aromatic structure, provides additional rigidity to a plant cell wall
Full length sequences of each selected gene namely, caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT) and cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H) in jute were retrieved by using traditional gene walking method with degenerate primers designed from plants with sequence similarity to jute like Populus, Vitis, Gossypium etc[20]
Successful COMT-hpRNA and C4H-hpRNA constructs were designed from the conserved region of the respective genes
Summary
A cross-linked macromolecule of hydrophobic aromatic structure, provides additional rigidity to a plant cell wall It is an integral part of the plant cell, presence of lignin considerably reduces the quality of the fiber of fiber-yielding plants. Lignocellulose biomass obtained from agricultural remains, forest residues (hardwood and softwood), herbaceous and woody energy crops- is renewable, cheap, adaptable to less cultivable land and readily obtainable with 10–50 billion tons produced per year at the global level[4]. It has been considered an attractive replacement of food-crop based source of biofuels[2]. The high amount of lignin in jute makes it coarse and impedes use of the same as a textile fiber
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