Weng Jing-Ke, Li Xu, Bonawitz Nicholas D, Chapple Clint
Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, 175 South University Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2063, USA.
Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2008 Apr;19(2):166-72. doi: 10.1016/j.copbio.2008.02.014. Epub 2008 Apr 9.
Ethanol and other biofuels produced from lignocellulosic biomass represent a renewable, more carbon-balanced alternative to both fossil fuels and corn-derived or sugarcane-derived ethanol. Unfortunately, the presence of lignin in plant cell walls impedes the breakdown of cell wall polysaccharides to simple sugars and the subsequent conversion of these sugars to usable fuel. Recent advances in the understanding of lignin composition, polymerization, and regulation have revealed new opportunities for the rational manipulation of lignin in future bioenergy crops, augmenting the previous successful approach of manipulating lignin monomer biosynthesis. Furthermore, recent studies on lignin degradation in nature may provide novel resources for the delignification of dedicated bioenergy crops and other sources of lignocellulosic biomass.
由木质纤维素生物质生产的乙醇和其他生物燃料，是化石燃料以及玉米或甘蔗衍生乙醇的一种可再生、碳平衡度更高的替代品。不幸的是，植物细胞壁中木质素的存在阻碍了细胞壁多糖分解为单糖，以及这些单糖随后转化为可用燃料的过程。在对木质素组成、聚合和调控的理解方面取得的最新进展，揭示了在未来生物能源作物中合理操控木质素的新机会，这是对之前操控木质素单体生物合成这一成功方法的补充。此外，最近关于自然界中木质素降解的研究，可能为专门的生物能源作物及其他木质纤维素生物质来源的脱木质素提供新资源。
