Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Pulping performance of transgenic poplar with depressed Caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase

  • Articles/Gene Engineering
  • Published:
Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

This paper evaluated pulping performance of 3-year-old field-grown transgenic poplar (Populus tremula × Populus alba). The transgenic poplar with anti-sense CCoAOMT had an about 13% decreased lignin content, in which a slight increment was found in S/G ratio. Chemical analysis showed that the transgenic poplar had significantly less benezene-ethanol extractive than that of control wood, but no significant differences were found in contents of ash, cold water extractive, hot water extractive, 1% NaOH extractive, holocellulose, pentosans and cellulose. Fiber assay demonstrated that down-regulation of CCoAOMT expression improved the fiber quality in transgenic poplar. Kraft pulping showed that lower lignin in transgenic poplar led to remarkable improved pulp quality and increased pulp yield.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Baucher M, Halpin C, Petit-Conil M, et al. Lignin: Genetic engineering and impact on pulping. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol, 2003, 38(4): 305–350

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Vanholme R, Morreel K, Ralph J, et al. Lignin engineering. Curr Opin Plant Biol, 2008, 11(3): 278–285

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Yang B, Wyman C E. Effect of xylan and lignin removal by batch and flowthrough pretreatment on the enzymatic digestibility of corn stover cellulose. Biotechnol Bioeng, 2004, 86(1): 88–95

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Meyermans H, Morreel K, Lapierre C, et al. Modifications in lignin and accumulation of phenolic glucosides in poplar xylem upon down-regulation of caffeoyl-coenzyme A O-methyltransferase, an enzyme involved in lignin biosynthesis. J Biol Chem, 2000, 275(47): 36899–36909

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Zhong R, Morrison W H, Himmelsbach D S, et al. Essential role of caffeoyl coenzyme A O-methyltransferase in lignin biosynthesis in woody poplar plants. Plant Physiol, 2000, 124(2): 563–578

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Lapierre C, Pollet B, Petit-Conil M, et al. Structural alterations of lignins in transgenic poplars with depressed cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase or caffeic acid O-methyltransferase activity have an opposite impact on the efficiency of industrial kraft pulping. Plant Physiol, 1999, 119(1): 153–164

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Pilate G, Guiney E, Holt K, et al. Field and pulping performances of transgenic trees with altered lignification. Nat Biotechnol, 2002, 20(6): 607–612

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Huntley S K, Ellis D, Gilbert M, et al. Significant Increases in pulping efficiency in C4H-F5H-transformed poplars: Improved chemical savings and reduced environmental toxins. J Agric Food Chem, 2003, 51(21): 6178–6183

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Wei J H, Zhao H Y, Zhang J Y, et al. Cloning of cDNA encoding CCoAOMT from Populus tomentosa and down-regulation of lignin content in transgenic plant expressing antisense gene. Acta Bot Sin, 2001, 43(11): 1179–1183.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Francoise M, Stephane M, Gaelle P, et al. cDNA cloning, substrate specificity and expression study of tobacco caffeoyl-CoA 3-O-methyltrnaferase, a lignin biosynthetic enzyme. Plant Mol Biol, 1998, 36: 427–437

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Lapierre C, Pollet B, Rolando C. New insight into the molecular architechture of hardwood lignin by chemical degradative methods. Res Chem Intermediates, 1995, 21: 397–412

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Zhong R, Morrison W H, Negrel J, et al. Dual methylation pathways in lignin biosynthesis. Plant Cell, 1998, 10: 2033–2045

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Pincon G, Maury S, Hoffmann L, et al. Repression of O-methyltransferase genes in transgenic tobacco affects lignin synthesis and plant growth. Phytochemistry, 2001, 57(7): 1167–1176

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Guo D, Chen F, Inoue K, et al. Downregulation of caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase and caffeoyl CoA 3-O-methyltransferase in transgenic alfalfa: Impacts on lignin structure and implications for the biosynthesis of G and S lignin. Plant Cell, 2001, 13(1): 73–88

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Marita J M, Ralph J, Hatfield R D, et al. Structural and compositional modifications in lignin of transgenic alfalfa down-regulated in caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase and caffeoyl coenzyme A 3-O-methyltransferase. Phytochemistry, 2003, 62(1): 53–65

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Chen F, Dixon R A. Lignin modification improves fermentable sugar yields for biofuel production. Nat Biotechnol, 2007, 25(7): 746–748

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beijing Agro-Biotechnology Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China

    JianHua Wei, YanZhen Wang, HongZhi Wang, RuiFen Li, Nan Lin & RongCai Ma

  2. Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China

    LeQing Qu & YanRu Song

Authors
  1. JianHua Wei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. YanZhen Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. HongZhi Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. RuiFen Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Nan Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. RongCai Ma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. LeQing Qu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. YanRu Song
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to YanRu Song.

Additional information

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 30671699), 948 Project of State Forestry Administration of China (Grant No. 2008-4-26), Natural Sciences Foundation of Beijing (Grant No. 5072013) and Bejing Transgenic Crop Special Project of Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission (Grant No. Z07070501770701)

About this article

Cite this article

Wei, J., Wang, Y., Wang, H. et al. Pulping performance of transgenic poplar with depressed Caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase. Chin. Sci. Bull. 53, 3553–3558 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-008-0477-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-008-0477-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation