Role of lignin in lignocellulose suprastructure formation

木质纤维素是地球上可再生生物质的主要来源，是一种有吸引力的原料。木质素是木质纤维生物质的主要成分，是植物细胞壁多糖酶促糖化的障碍。然而，木质纤维组分的超结构在很大程度上影响了木质纤维的利用，目前对其超微结构知之甚少。在此背景下，我们利用化学分析、基因表达分析、形态观察、酶促糖化等手段，对木质素生物合成基因表达受调控的大型草本植物--狼尾草和一些转基因水稻植株的木质素及其相关化合物进行了研究。本研究为今后的大型草本植物育种和更好地利用木质纤维生物质资源提供了细胞壁成分的基础信息。

Lignocellulose is the main source of renewable biomass on Earth and is an attractive feedstock. Lignin is a major component of lignocellulosic biomass, and is an obstacle in the enzymatic saccharification of plant cell wall polysaccharides. However, little is known about suprastructures of the lignocellulosic components, which affect largely the utilization of the lignocellulose. In this context, using chemical analysis, gene expression analysis, morphological observation, enzymatic saccharification etc., we have characterized lignins and related compounds of a large grass plant, Erianthus and a number of transgenic rice plants, where expression of lignin biosynthetic genes are regulated. This study provided basic information on cell wall components for future breeding programs of large grass plants and for better utilization of the lignocellulosic biomass resource.