Work

Harnessing lignin evolution for biotechnological applications

Year: 2018

Type: review

Abstract: Lignin evolved concomitantly with the rise of vascular plants on planet earth ∼450 million years ago. Several iterations of exploiting ancestral phenylpropanoid metabolism for biopolymers occurred prior to lignin that facilitated early plants' adaptation to terrestrial environments. The first true lignin was constructed via oxidative coupling of a number of simple phenylpropanoid alcohols to form a sturdy polymer that supports long-distance water transport. This invention has directly contributed to the dominance of vascular plants in the Earth's flora, and has had a profound impact on the establishment of the rich terrestrial ecosystems as we know them today. Within vascular plants, new lignin traits continued to emerge with expanded biological functions pertinent to host fitness under complex environmental niches. Understanding the chemical and biochemical basis for lignin's evolution in diverse plants therefore offers new opportunities and tools for engineering desirable lignin traits in crops with economic significance.

Source: Current Opinion in Biotechnology

DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2018.10.011

Authors: Hugues Renault, Danièle Werck-Reichhart, Jing-Ke Weng

Institutions: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Université de Strasbourg, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Lignin and Wood Chemistry

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,954

Funders: National Science Foundation, Searle Scholars Program, Agence Nationale de la Recherche