Lignin engineering in forest trees: From gene discovery to field trials

Wood is an abundant and renewable feedstock for the production of pulp,fuels,and biobased materials.However,wood is recalcitrant toward deconstruction into cellulose and simple sugars,mainly because of the presence of lignin,an aromatic polymer that shields cell-wall polysaccharides.Hence,numerous research efforts have focused on engineering lignin amount and composition to improve wood processability.Here,we focus on results that have been obtained by engineering the lignin biosynthesis and branching pathways in forest trees to reduce cell-wall recalcitrance,including the introduction of exotic lignin monomers.In addition,we draw general conclusions from over 20 years of field trial research with trees engineered to produce less or altered lignin.We discuss possible causes and solutions for the yield penalty that is often associated with lignin engineering in trees.Finally,we discuss how conventional and new breeding strategies can be combined to develop elite clones with desired lignin properties.We conclude this review with priorities for the development of commercially relevant lignin-engineered trees.

转基因树木研究现状及发展趋势

通过基因工程技术将外源基因到树木基因组弥补了其传统育种手段周期长、过程繁琐、性状难以人为控制的缺点。在过去20年,树木转基因研究取得了令人鼓舞的成果,选育出多种携带外源基因的树木,并经过了限制性田间试验。国外开展树木转基因研究先于国内,在抗除草剂、抗虫、降低木质素等方面取得了显著进展,同时开展了转基因表达稳定性和安全性方面的研究。本文综合论述了近年来国内外树木转基因工作研究进展。就各国转基因树木种植概况、遗传性状改良方向、田间试验情况进行了介绍和总结,分析了存在的问题和未来发展的趋势。以期为我国从事林木基因工程研究的科研工作者以及政府决策部门提供借鉴,以促进我国树木基因工程的研究和发展。