Transgenic Poplar Designed for Biofuels

Nathan D. Bryant, Yunqiao Pu, Timothy J. Tschaplinski, Gerald A. Tuskan, Wellington Muchero, Udaya C. Kalluri, Chang Geun Yoo, Arthur J. Ragauskas

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

49 Scopus citations

Abstract

Members of the genus Populus (i.e., cottonwood, hybrid poplar) represent a promising source of lignocellulosic biomass for biofuels. However, one of the major factors negatively affecting poplar's efficient conversion to biofuel is the inherent recalcitrance to enzymatic saccharification due to cell wall components such as lignin. To this effect, there have been efforts to modify gene expression to reduce biomass recalcitrance by changing cell wall properties. Here, we review recent genetic modifications of poplar that led to change cell wall properties and the resulting effects on subsequent pretreatment efficacy and saccharification. Although genetic engineering's impacts on cell wall properties are not fully predictable, recent studies have shown promising improvement in the biological conversion of transgenic poplar to biofuels.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)881-896
Number of pages16
JournalTrends in Plant Science
Volume25
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2020

Funding

This work was partially supported by the Center for Bioenergy Innovation (CBI), which is a US Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Research Center supported by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research in the DOE Office of Science. The manuscript was authored by UT-Battelle, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the US DOE. The US Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US Government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of the manuscript, or allow others to do so, for US Government purposes. The DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan (http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan). The views and opinions of the authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the US Government or any agency thereof. Neither the US Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. This work was partially supported by the Center for Bioenergy Innovation (CBI) , which is a US Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Research Center supported by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research in the DOE Office of Science . The manuscript was authored by UT-Battelle, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the US DOE. The US Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US Government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of the manuscript, or allow others to do so, for US Government purposes. The DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan ( http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan ). The views and opinions of the authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the US Government or any agency thereof. Neither the US Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights.

Keywords

  • cell wall chemistry
  • cellulose
  • gene
  • lignin
  • recalcitrance
  • saccharification
  • transgenic poplar

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