Method for modifying lignin composition and increasing in vivo digestibility of forages

摘要

A method for improving the digestibility of a forage legume comprises stably incorporating into the genome of the plant a DNA construct comprising at least one open reading frame encoding for a caffeoyl or caffeic acid CoA 3-O-methyltransferase enzyme ( CCoAMT ) under the expression control of a lignification-associated tissue specific promoter, wherein the expression produces a change in lignin composition in the legume and improves its digestibility. Preferably the promoter is a PAL2 promoter.