Ferulic acid: a key component in grass lignocellulose recalcitrance to hydrolysis

In the near future, grasses must provide most of the biomass for the production of renewable fuels. However, grass cell walls are characterized by a large quantity of hydroxycinnamic acids such as ferulic and p-coumaric acids, which are thought to reduce the biomass saccharification. Ferulic acid (FA) binds to lignin, polysaccharides and structural proteins of grass cell walls cross-linking these components. A controlled reduction of FA level or of FA cross-linkages in plants of industrial interest can improve the production of cellulosic ethanol. Here, we review the biosynthesis and roles of FA in cell wall architecture and in grass biomass recalcitrance to enzyme hydrolysis

Produção de prolina e suscetibilidade ao glufosinato de amônio em plantas transgênicas de citrumelo Swingle Proline production by transgenic plants of Swingle citrumelo and susceptibility to glufosinate ammonium

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a sensibilidade de plantas transgênicas de citrumelo Swingle com elevada produção de prolina, ao herbicida glufosinato de amônio. As plantas utilizadas apresentavam a inserção do gene mutante da enzima delta1-pirrolina-5-carboxilato sintetase (P5CS), responsável pela biossíntese de prolina. A expressão do gene p5cs em plantas transgênicas causou aumento nas quantidades de prolina em tecidos foliares, em até cinco vezes, quando comparadas às plantas-controle tratadas com 200 µM de glufosinato de amônio. As plantas transgênicas acumularam maior quantidade de NH4+ nas folhas, em relação às plantas não-transgênicas. Os danos causados pelo herbicida foram avaliados in vitro, utilizando-se discos foliares cultivados em meio MS com diferentes concentrações de glufosinato de amônio. Observou-se maior clorose em discos foliares das plantas transgênicas, o que comprova a maior suscetibilidade de plantas de citrumelo Swingle com alta produção de prolina ao herbicida.<br>The objective of this work was to evaluate the susceptibility to glufosinate ammonium of transgenic plants of Swingle citrumelo with high proline production. The mutant gene of the enzyme delta1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS), the rate-limiting enzyme in proline biosynthesis, was inserted into Swingle citrumelo plants. The expression of the gene p5cs caused up to 5-fold increase on the proline content in leaf tissues of transgenic plants treated with 200 µM glufosinate ammonium, when compared with control plants. Leaves of transgenic plants accumulated higher amounts of NH4+ than the nontransgenic control. The herbicide toxicity was evaluated using leaf disks cultivated in MS medium, containing different concentrations of glufosinate ammonium. The severity of the chlorosis, observed in leaf disks of transgenic plants, confirmed the higher susceptibility of Swingle citrumelo plants, with high proline production, to this herbicide