ISOLATION AND TARGETED SUPPRESSION OF LIGNIN BIOSYNTHETIC GENES FROM SUGARCANE

摘要

The subject invention concerns materials and methods for modulating lignin biosynthesis in sugarcane plants. In one embodiment, lignin biosynthesis is down-regulated. Genes and the proteins encoded thereby that can be targeted for achieving down-regulation of lignin in sugarcane include, for example, 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL). In one embodiment, the 4CL gene is 4CL-M, 4CL-N, or 4CL-L. The subject invention also concerns a sugarcane plant, specific plant tissue, and plant cells having modulated (e.g., down-regulated) lignin biosynthesis. The subject invention also concerns methods for producing a sugarcane plant having modulated (e.g., decreased or down-regulated) biosynthesis of lignin.