LIGNIN REDUCTION AND CELLULOSE INCREASE IN CROP BIOMASS VIA GENETIC ENGINEERING

摘要

A transgenic maize plant and methods of using the transgenic maize plant having at least a portion of a coding region of one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes. In one embodiment, the transgenic plant expresses short interfering RNA (siRNA) for the one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes that forms a double-strand to activate RNA interference (RNAi). The RNAi decreases expression of the one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes in the transgenic plant. In a second embodiment, the transgenic plant has a cDNA for the one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes to increase expression of the one or more lignin biosynthesis pathway enzymes in the transgenic plant.