Herbaceous perennial plants selected as potential biofuel feedstocks had been understudied at the genomic and functional genomic levels. Recent investments, primarily by the U.S. Department of Energy, have led to the development of a number of molecular resources for bioenergy grasses, such as the partially annotated genome for switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), and some related diploid species...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Rhinanthus minor is a root hemiparasitic plant that attacks a wide range of host species which are severely damaged by the parasite. Rhinanthus minor also attempts unsuccessfully to form connections to a range of non-hosts which in contrast are not damaged by the parasite; however, the underlying physiological basis of these differences is not fully understood. METHODS Bio...

The cell wall is one major determinant of plant cell morphology, and is an attractive bioresource. Here, we report a novel strategy to modify plant cell wall property by small molecules. Lasalocid sodium (LS) was isolated by chemical screening to identify molecules that affect the cell morphology of tobacco BY-2 cells. LS treatment led to an increase in cell wall thickness, whilst the quantity ...

The suitability of municipal plant waste for anaerobic digestion was examined using 57 different herbaceous and non-herbaceous samples. Biochemical methane potential (BMP) and anaerobic biodegradability were related to the degree of lignification and crystallinity of cellulose. The BMP of herbaceous garden plants (332.7 CH(4)NL kg VS(-1)) was high, although lower than that of energy crops (400-...

Ectopic expression in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum v. Xanthi) of the export protein AtHMA4 (responsible in Arabidopsis for the control of Zn/Cd root to shoot translocation) resulted in decreased Cd uptake/accumulation in roots and shoots. This study contributes to understanding the mechanisms underlying this Cd-dependent phenotype to help predict the consequences of transgene expression for poten...

Lignin, a ubiquitous phenylpropanoid polymer in vascular plant cell walls, is derived primarily from oxidative couplings of monolignols (p-hydroxycinnamyl alcohols). It was discovered recently that a wide range of grasses, including cereals, utilize a member of the flavonoids, tricin (3',5'-dimethoxyflavone), as a natural comonomer with monolignols for cell wall lignification. Previously, we es...

Sheepgrass (Leymus chinensis) is a high-quality cool-season forage crop used as pasture and hay for livestock feeds. The presence of lignin in cell walls, however, impairs forage digestibility of such lignocellulosic feedstock. Here, the structural characterization and cell wall composition of sheepgrass internodes were studied, and a progressive increase in cell wall lignification was observed...

Intrinsic characteristics of plant cell walls limiting susceptibility of structural carbohydrates to microbial attack in the ruminant's gastrointestinal tract are lignification of the cell wall, covalent bonding of phenolic acids to cell wall polysaccharides, the crystalline structure of cellulose and li mited fibrolytic enzyme accessible space. The exact mechanism by which or degree to which e...