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Down-regulation of the AtCCR1 gene in Arabidopsis thaliana: effects on phenotype, lignins and cell wall degradability

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Abstract

Cinnamoyl CoA reductase (CCR; EC 1.2.1.44) is the first enzyme specific to the biosynthetic pathway leading to monolignols. Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. plants transformed with a vector containing a full-length AtCCR1 cDNA in an antisense orientation were obtained and characterized. The most severely down-regulated homozygous plants showed drastic alterations to their phenotypical features. These plants had a 50% decrease in lignin content accompanied by changes in lignin composition and structure, with incorporation of ferulic acid into the cell wall. Microscopic analyses coupled with immunolabelling revealed a decrease in lignin deposition in normally lignified tissues and a dramatic loosening of the secondary cell wall of interfascicular fibers and vessels. Evaluation of in vitro digestibility demonstrated an increase in the enzymatic degradability of these transgenic lines. In addition, culture conditions were shown to play a substantial role in lignin level and structure in the wild type and in the effects of AtCCR1 repression efficiency.

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Fig. 1.
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Abbreviations

ASCCR:

CCR anti-sense plants

CC:

culture conditions

CCR:

cinnamoyl CoA reductase

G:

guaiacyl units

H:

hydroxyphenyl units

IVDMD:

in vitro dry matter digestibility

IVNDFD:

in vitro NDF digestibility

NDF:

neutral detergent fiber

S:

syringyl units

TEM:

transmission electron microscopy

WS:

Wassilevskija

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Acknowledgements

The authors are very grateful to Magalie Pichon (CNRS, Toulouse) who performed the CCR activity assays and to Frédéric Legée (INRA-INA, Grignon) who did the Klason measurements. They thank Jean-Pascal Meunier, Joël Talbotec and Hervé Ferry (INRA, Versailles) who took care of the plants in the greenhouse and the climatized chambers. The authors also wish to thank Deborah Goffner (CNRS, Toulouse) for corrections and critical review of the manuscript. Cell wall digestibility assays were performed in the framework of the Génoplante program Af 1999-011.

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Author notes

  1. Vincent Burlat

    Present address: Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Laboratoire de Physiologie Végétale, 37200, Tours, France

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biologie Cellulaire, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 78026, Versailles Cedex, France

    Thomas Goujon, Valérie Ferret & Lise Jouanin

  2. Chimie Biologique, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon, , 78850, Thiverval-Grignon, France

    Isabelle Mila, Brigitte Pollet & Catherine Lapierre

  3. Centre de Recherche sur les Macromolécules Végétales, BP53, 38041, Grenoble Cedex 09, France

    Katia Ruel, Vincent Burlat & Jean-Paul Joseleau

  4. Unité de Génétique et d'Amélioration des Plantes Fourragères, INRA, , 86600, Lusignan, France

    Yves Barrière

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  1. Thomas Goujon
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Correspondence to Lise Jouanin.

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Goujon, T., Ferret, V., Mila, I. et al. Down-regulation of the AtCCR1 gene in Arabidopsis thaliana: effects on phenotype, lignins and cell wall degradability. Planta 217, 218–228 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-003-0987-6

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