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Evaluation of Brown Midrib Sorghum Mutants as a Potential Biomass Feedstock for 2,3-Butanediol Biosynthesis

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology volume 183, pages 1093–1110 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Three sorghum backgrounds [Atlas, Early Hegari (EH), and Kansas Collier (KC)] and two bmr mutants (bmr6 and bmr12) of each line were evaluated and compared for grain and biomass yield, biomass composition, and 2,3-butanediol production from biomass. The data showed that the bmr6 mutation in EH background led to a significant decrease in stover yield and increase in grain yield, whereas the stover yield was increased by 64% without affecting grain yield in KC background. The bmr mutants had 10 to 25% and 2 to 9% less lignin and structural carbohydrate contents, respectively, and 24 to 93% more non-structural sugars than their parents in all sorghum lines, except EH bmr12. The total fermentable sugars released were 22 to 36% more in bmr mutants than in parents for Atlas and KC, but not for EH. The bmr6 mutation in KC background produced the most promising feedstock, among the evaluated bmr mutants, for 2,3-butanediol production without affecting grain yield, followed by KC bmr12 and Atlas bmr6, but the bmr mutation had an adverse effect in EH background. This indicated that the genetic background of the parent line and type of bmr mutation significantly affect the biomass quality as a feedstock for biochemical production.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)-US University linkage program, and the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), Department of Navy, grant number N68335-13-C-0174. Author PVV thanks the Lortscher Endowment for their support. The authors would like to thank Anilkumar GS and Kanaganahalli S Vinutha for their help on agronomy data collection, Reggeany I. Friesen for her help on pretreatment and hydrolysis of biomass, and Krishna P. Bastola for his help in developing the modified Folin-Ciocalteu Reagent method for phenolics determination. The authors are also grateful to Novozymes Inc. for the donation of enzyme samples. This manuscript is contribution no. 15-347-J from the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station.

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  1. Yadhu N Guragain

    Present address: BioProcess Algae, LLC, 1811 Aksarben Drive, Omaha, NE, 68106, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bioprocessing and Renewable Energy Laboratory, Grain Science and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA

    Yadhu N Guragain & Praveen V Vadlani

  2. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Telangana, India

    P Srinivasa Rao

  3. Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA

    PV Vara Prasad

  4. Department of Chemical Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA

    Praveen V Vadlani

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  1. Yadhu N Guragain
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  2. P Srinivasa Rao
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Correspondence to Yadhu N Guragain.

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Guragain, Y.N., Srinivasa Rao, P., Vara Prasad, P. et al. Evaluation of Brown Midrib Sorghum Mutants as a Potential Biomass Feedstock for 2,3-Butanediol Biosynthesis. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 183, 1093–1110 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-017-2486-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-017-2486-4

Keywords

  • Bmr
  • Biomass composition
  • Pretreatment
  • Fermentation
  • 2,3-Butanediol
  • Platform chemical
  • Stover (dry biomass)

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