Michigan State University

Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

The University of British Columbia

Illinois State University

Curtis Wilkerson

John Ralph

Saunia Withers

Shawn D Mansfield

John C Sedbrook

Michael P Held

Federica Brandizzi

Sang Jin Kim

John Sedbrook

The invention relates to nucleic acids encoding a p-coumaroyl-CoA:monolignol transferase and to inhibitory nucleic acids adapted to inhibit the expression and/or translation of a p-coumaroyl-CoA:monolignol transferase RNA. Inhibition of p-coumaroyl-CoA:monolignol transferase in plants improves the incorporation of monolignol ferulates into the lignin of plants, giving rise to plant biomass that is more easily processed into useful products such as paper and biofuels.

P-coumaroyl-CoA:monolignol transferase

Plants described herein have increased biomass and are more readily digested into fermentable sugars when the plants express increased levels of one or more types of CGR2 and/or CGR3 enzymes.

Digestibility of plant biomass

The invention relates to isolated nucleic acids encoding a feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase and feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase enzymes. The isolated nucleic acids and/or the enzymes enable incorporation of monolignol ferulates into the lignin of plants, where such monolignol ferulates include, for example, p-coumaryl ferulate, coniferyl ferulate, and/or sinapyl ferulate. The invention also includes methods and plants that include nucleic acids encoding a feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase enzyme and/or feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase enzymes.

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The invention relates to nucleic acids encoding a feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase and the feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase enzyme that enables incorporation of monolignol ferulates, for example, including p-coumaryl ferulate, coniferyl ferulate, and sinapyl ferulate, into the lignin of plants.

Feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase

Growing community of inventors

Swartz Creek, MI, United States of America

Curtis Wilkerson