Patent
The invention relates to isolated nucleic acids encoding a feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase and feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase enzymes. The isolated nucleic acids and/or the enzymes enable incorporation of monolignol ferulates into the lignin of plants, where such monolignol ferulates include, for example, p-coumaryl ferulate, coniferyl ferulate, and/or sinapyl ferulate. The invention also includes methods and plants that include nucleic acids encoding a feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase enzyme and/or feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase enzymes.
1. An isolated Hibiscus cannabinus (Kenaf) feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase cDNA with at least 95% sequence identity to nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:8.
2. An isolated cDNA that encodes a Hibiscus cannabinus (Kenaf) feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase polypeptide with at least 95% amino acid sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:9 or SEQ ID NO:16.
3. An expression cassette comprising a feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase nucleic acid segment with at least about 95% sequence identity to nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:8, and a heterologous promoter operably linked to the nucleic acid segment, wherein the promoter is functional in a host cell.
4. An expression cassette comprising a nucleic acid segment that encodes a Hibiscus cannabinus (Kenaf) feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase polypeptide with at least 95% amino acid sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:9 or SEQ ID NO:16, and a heterologous promoter operably linked to the nucleic acid segment.
5. The expression cassette of claim 3 , wherein the promoter is a promoter functional or active during plant development or growth.
6. The expression cassette of claim 3 , wherein the promoter is a promoter functional or active in woody tissues of a plant.
7. An isolated cell comprising the isolated feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase cDNA of claim 1 .
8. The isolated cell of claim 7 , which is a microorganism or a plant cell.
9. A plant comprising the isolated cell of claim 7 .
10. A plant comprising a heterologous feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase nucleic acid segment with at least about 95% sequence identity to nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:8, and a heterologous promoter operably linked to the nucleic acid segment, wherein the promoter is functional in a cell of the plant.
11. The plant of claim 10 , wherein the plant has an increased percent of monolignol ferulates in the plant's lignin.
12. The plant of claim 10 , wherein the genome of the plant is stably transformed with the heterologous feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase nucleic acid.
13. The plant of claim 10 , wherein the feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase nucleic acid is transmitted through a complete normal sexual cycle of the plant to the next generation.
14. A plant seed comprising the expression cassette of claim 3 .
15. A plant seed comprising a heterologous feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase nucleic acid segment with at least about 95% sequence identity to nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:8, and a promoter operably linked to the nucleic acid segment, wherein the promoter is functional in a cell of the plant.
16. A method for increasing the content of monolignol ferulates in lignin within a plant, comprising:
(a) planting the plant seed of claim 15 ; and
(b) cultivating a plant germinated from the plant seed, to thereby increase the content of monolignol ferulates in the lignin within the plant.
17. A method, comprising:
(a) stably transforming plant cells with the expression cassette of claim 3 , to generate transformed plant cells;
(b) regenerating the transformed plant cells into at least one transgenic plant.
18. A fertile transgenic plant having an increased percent of monolignol ferulates in the plant's lignin, the genome of which is stably transformed by the expression cassette of claim 3 , wherein the feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase nucleic acid is transmitted through a complete normal sexual cycle of the transgenic plant to the next generation.
19. An isolated cell comprising the expression cassette claim 3 .
20. An isolated cell comprising the expression cassette of claim 4 .
21. A plant comprising the isolated cell of claim 20 .
22. A plant seed comprising the expression cassette of claim 4 .
23. The cDNA of claim 2 , where the polypeptide has one or more conservative amino acid substitutions.