The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 26, 2003
Filed:
Aug. 26, 1999
Clinton C. S. Chapple, West Lafayette, IN (US);
Purdue Research Foundation, West Lafayette, IN (US);
Abstract
The present invention relates to methods and materials in the field of molecular biology, the manipulation of the phenylpropanoid pathway and the regulation of proteins synthesis through plant genetic engineering. More particularly, the invention relates to the introduction of a foreign nucleotide sequence into a plant genome, wherein the introduction of the nucleotide sequence effects an increase in the syringyl content of the plant's lignin. In one specific aspect, the invention relates to methods for modifying the plant lignin composition in a plant cell by the introduction there into of a foreign nucleotide sequence comprising at issue specific plant promoter sequence and a sequence encoding an active ferulate- -hydroxylase (F H) enzyme. Plant transformants harboring an inventive promoter-F H construct demonstrate increased levels of syringyl monomer residues in their lignin, rendering the polymer more readily delignified and, thereby, rendering the plant more readily pulped or digested.