Suberin and hemicellulose in sugarcane cell wall architecture and crop digestibility: A biotechnological perspective

• Published in: Food and energy security Vol. 8; no. 3
• Main Authors: Figueiredo, Raquel, Araújo, Pedro, Llerena, Juan Pablo P., Mazzafera, Paulo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bognor Regis John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.07.2019; Wiley
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Anatomical structures; Bioelectricity; Bioethanol; Biofuels; Biomass; Biopolymers; Biosynthesis; cell wall architecture; Cell walls; Cellulose; Composition; Corn; Crops; Cutin; Digestibility; Disruption; Enzymes; Ethanol; Fatty acids; forage sugarcane; functional genomics; Genomes; grass biomass; Grasses; Hemicellulose; Hydrophobicity; Lignin; Lignocellulose; Lipids; Livestock; Microorganisms; Phenolic compounds; Phenols; Raw materials; Regulatory mechanisms (biology); Scholarships & fellowships; Sorghum; suberin; Sugarcane; Transcription; Transcription factors; Ultrastructure
• ISSN: 2048-3694; 2048-3694
• DOI: 10.1002/fes3.163

Sugarcane is a highly efficient biomass producer used in the last decades for bioethanol and bioelectricity production, as well as for animal feeding. Together with lignin, suberin is a major factor for the low sugarcane biomass digestibility by ruminants. The lipid–phenolic biomolecular composition and the ultrastructure of suberin and associated waxes confer them extraordinary properties of hydrophobicity, flexibility, and anti‐microbial resistance, responsible for the low digestibility of suberized tissues. Additionally, hemicelluloses cross‐linked with suberin and lignin also contribute appreciably to cell wall recalcitrance. In this review, a main focus was given to suberin and secondly to hemicellulose and how they may interfere with ruminant digestibility. Suberin and hemicellulose deposition and biomolecular composition are genetically regulated, showing a close regulatory interplay with phenylpropanoid and fatty acid biosynthesis pathways, cutin disruption, and stress and defense responses. Understanding the bulk of transcription factors network and hormonal regulatory mechanisms will allow accurate biotechnological approaches to the production of more feasible forage sugarcane. Sugarcane has been used for bioethanol and bioelectricity production, as well as for animal feeding. Together with lignin, suberin is a major factor for the low sugarcane biomass digestibility by ruminants. Additionally, hemicelluloses cross‐linked with suberin and lignin also contributes appreciably to cell wall recalcitrance. In this review, we discuss suberin and hemicellulose deposition and biomolecular composition are genetically regulated, showing a close regulatory interplay with phenylpropanoid and fatty acid biosynthesis pathways, cutin disruption, and stress and defense responses.