木质素生物合成关键酶基因的研究进展

Research Progresses on the Genes Encoding the Key Enzymes in Biosyn-thetic Pathway of Lignin

木质素是木材中仅次于纤维素的主要成分,占木材干重15%～35%,影响造纸业的造纸工艺和纸张质量。利用基因工程技术调控木质素生物合成途径中的关键酶基因的表达可以降低木质素含量或者改变木质素成分,开发新型植物资源,从源头降低成本,减少污染。本文介绍了木质素合成的过程,木质素合成关键酶:苯丙氨酸氨解酶(PAL),咖啡酸/5-羟基阿魏酸-O-甲基转移酶(COMT),咖啡酰辅酶-A-O-甲基转移酶(CCoAOMT),阿魏酸-5-羟基化酶(F5H),肉桂酰CoA还原酶(CCR)和(肉桂醇脱氢酶)CAD并统计了在GenBank中注册的木质素合成酶关键基因,论文最后就利用基因工程在改良木质素含量中的应用概况和前景做了讨论。

Lignin, which plays an important role in pulping industry, represents 15%-36% of dry weight of wood and is a major component inferior to cellulose. It might be the way to develop the novel woody resources by reducing the content of lignin or changing the components of lignin based on the genetic engineering approaches that could regulate the expression of the key enzymes in the biosynthesis of lignin, which could decrease the costs and the pollutions from the beginnings of the paper-making industry. The biosynthetic pathways of lignin and the involved enzymes such as PAL, COMT, CCoAOMT, FSH, CCR and CAD were reviewed and the important data about the key enzymes releasing in the GenBank were summarized in this paper. The authors also explored the possibilities of developing the plant with low lignin content by using the genetic engineering approaches, such as RNAi.