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Title: Study of traits and recalcitrance reduction of field-grown COMT down-regulated switchgrass

Journal Article · · Biotechnology for Biofuels
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The native recalcitrance of plants hinders the biomass conversion process using current biorefinery techniques. Down-regulation of the caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene in the lignin biosynthesis pathway of switchgrass reduced the thermochemical and biochemical conversion recalcitrance of biomass. Due to potential environmental influences on lignin biosynthesis and deposition, studying the consequences of physicochemical changes in field-grown plants without pretreatment is essential to evaluate the performance of lignin-altered plants. We determined the chemical composition, cellulose crystallinity and the degree of its polymerization, molecular weight of hemicellulose, and cellulose accessibility of cell walls in order to better understand the fundamental features of why biomass is recalcitrant to conversion without pretreatment. Lastly, the most important is to investigate whether traits and features are stable in the dynamics of field environmental effects over multiple years.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). BioEnergy Science Center (BESC); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Joint Institute for Biological Sciences (JIBS); National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725; AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1618662
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1339385; OSTI ID: 1340901
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5100-67649; 12; PII: 695
Journal Information:
Biotechnology for Biofuels, Journal Name: Biotechnology for Biofuels Vol. 10 Journal Issue: 1; ISSN 1754-6834
Publisher:
Springer Science + Business MediaCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
Netherlands
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 22 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (5)

Downregulation of pectin biosynthesis gene GAUT4 leads to reduced ferulate and lignin-carbohydrate cross-linking in switchgrass journal January 2019
Overexpression of a Prefoldin β subunit gene reduces biomass recalcitrance in the bioenergy crop Populus journal September 2019
Evaluation of parameters affecting switchgrass tissue culture: toward a consolidated procedure for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) journal December 2017
The effect of liquid hot water pretreatment on the chemical–structural alteration and the reduced recalcitrance in poplar journal November 2017
Functional Analysis of Cellulose Synthase CesA4 and CesA6 Genes in Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) by Overexpression and RNAi-Mediated Gene Silencing journal August 2018

Linked Research (3)

Figures / Tables (5)

Fig. 1(p. 4)figure Fig. 1
Table 1(p. 5)table Table 1
Fig. 2(p. 6)figure Fig. 2
Fig. 3(p. 7)figure Fig. 3
Fig. 4(p. 7)figure Fig. 4

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Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Switchgrass
Caffeic acid O-methyltransferase
Biomass recalcitrance
Enzymatic hydrolysis
Lignin
Cellulose accessibility
switchgrass
caffeic acid
O-methyltransferase
biomass recalcitrance
enzymatic hydrolysis
lignin
cellulose accessibility