Improved Saccharification Efficiency by Inhibiting a Xylosyltransferase
Pathway to more efficient saccharification in bioenergy plantsIncreases soluble sugar extraction compared to wild type plants
Biofuel production
Pamela Ronald and researchers at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) have identified a glycosyltransferase encoded by a rice gene that is critical for xylose biosynthesis in plant cell walls. Inhibiting the expression of the gene, Os02g22380, in plants reduces the plants’ lignin content, thus reducing recalcitrance of their cell walls and increasing the amount of soluble sugar that can be extracted from them. The technology is applicable to wheat, rice, corn, switchgrass, sorghum, millet, miscanthus, sugarcane, barley, turfgrass, hemp, bamboo and Bracypodium.Mutant rice plants based on this finding demonstrated reduced height with leaves deficient in xylose, as well as ferulic acid and coumaric acid – acids linked with the inhibition of microbes’ ability to covert sugars to fuels. In addition, using a promoter to limit the action of this gene to non-vascular tissue improves plant height. For more details, see the publication linked below.The Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI, www.jbei.org) is a scientific partnership led by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and including the Sandia National Laboratories, the University of California campuses of Berkeley and Davis, the Carnegie Institution for Science and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. JBEI’s primary scientific mission is to advance the development of the next generation of biofuels.
Patent Number: US20140033365A1
Application Number: US13953642A
Inventor: Chiniquy, Dawn | Ronald, Pamela | Scheller, Henrik Vibe
Priority Date: 27 Jul 2012
Priority Number: US20140033365A1
Application Date: 29 Jul 2013
Publication Date: 30 Jan 2014
IPC Current: C12N001582
US Class: 800284 | 435105 | 435419 | 800320 | 8003201 | 8003202 | 8003203
Assignee Applicant: The Regents of the University of California
Title: Inhibition of a Xylosyltransferase to Improve Saccharification Efficiency
Usefulness: Inhibition of a Xylosyltransferase to Improve Saccharification Efficiency
Summary: The grass plant is useful for obtaining a fiber preparation and improving the amount of soluble sugar obtained from grass plant biomass material (all claimed) for biofuel production, where the fiber preparation is useful in food materials for animals, including humans.
Novelty: New grass plant, in which expression of endogenous XAX1 gene is genetically altered in comparison to corresponding wild type grass plant that does not have genetic alteration, useful to e.g. obtain a fiber preparation used in food materials
Biomedical
DNA/Gene Engineering
20140033365
State Of Development The technology has been tested in rice plants, which demonstrated leaves deficient in xylose, ferulic acid and coumaric acid. Specifically, cell wall extracts given a hot water pre-treatment exhibit a 62% increase in the total sugars released in an enzyme mixture that contains cellulase, α-mannosidase, and hemicellulases. Phenolic composition indicates a strong decrease in ferulic acid (59%) along with a decrease in coumaric acid (44%), which are downstream inhibitors. For more details, see the publication linked below. Related Materials Additional Technologies by these Inventors Tech ID/UC Case 23951/2012-162-0 Related Cases 2012-162-0
USA
