MAIZE WITH MODIFIED CINNAMOYL COA REDUCTASE ENZYME HAVING REDUCED LIGNIN AND IMPROVED DIGESTIBILITY

摘要

The present invention relates to the field of plant improvement, in particular of plant improvement by modification of the quality and/or of the quantity of lignin. Given the qualitative importance of lignin, an increase, a decrease or a modification of the quantity and/or of the quality of lignin can have considerable industrial or agronomic consequences. The present invention relates more precisely to the development of a specific allele of the gene encoding the first isoform of cinnamoyl CoA reductase or CCR1 (EC: 1.2.1.44) in maize. The presence of this allele results in a decrease in the quantity of lignin present in the plant.