TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS FOR MODIFICATION OF LIGNIN CONTENT IN PLANTS

• Main Authors: CHEN FANG, WANG HUANZHONG, DIXON RICHARD A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 10.05.2012
• Subjects: ADDING MATERIALS TO FUELS OR FIRES TO REDUCE SMOKE ORUNDESIRABLE DEPOSITS OR TO FACILITATE SOOT REMOVAL; AGRICULTURE; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; CULTURE MEDIA; ENZYMOLOGY; FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIREDCHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERSFROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE; FIRELIGHTERS; FISHING; FODDER; FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; FORESTRY; FUELS; FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HUNTING; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS; LUBRICANTS; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; NATURAL GAS; NEW PLANTS OR PROCESSES FOR OBTAINING THEM; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PAPER-MAKING; PEAT; PEPTIDES; PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; PLANT REPRODUCTION BY TISSUE CULTURE TECHNIQUES; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; PULP COMPOSITIONS; REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGYGENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION; SPIRITS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BYSUBCLASSES C10G, C10K; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; TEXTILES; THEIR TREATMENT, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES; TRAPPING; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; VINEGAR; WINE

The invention provides methods for modifying lignin, cellulose, xylan, and hemicellulose content in plants, and for achieving ectopic lignification and, for instance, secondary cell wall synthesis in pith cells, by altered regulation of a WRKY transcription factor. Nucleic acid constructs for altered WRKY-TF expression are described. Transgenic plants are provided that comprise modified pith cell walls, and lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose content. Plants described herein may be used, for example, as improved biofuel feedstock and as highly digestible forage crops.