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。木质素是木质纤维素生物质的主要成分，是植物细胞壁多糖酶法糖化的障碍。然而，对木质纤维素组分的超结构却知之甚少，这在很大程度上影响了木质纤维素的利用。在此背景下，使用化学分析、基因表达分析、形态观察、酶糖化等，我们已经表征了大型禾本科植物、蔗茅和许多转基因水稻植物的木质素和相关化合物，其中木质素生物合成基因的表达受到调节。本研究为进一步开展大型禾本科植物的育种工作和更好地利用木质纤维素生物质资源提供了细胞壁组分的基础信息。

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.