Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
Trends Plant Sci. 2016 Aug;21(8):713-721. doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2016.04.006. Epub 2016 Apr 27.
Lignin is a complex phenolic polymer that is deposited in the secondary cell wall of all vascular plants. The evolution of lignin is considered to be a critical event during vascular plant development, because lignin provides mechanical strength, rigidity, and hydrophobicity to secondary cell walls to allow plants to grow tall and transport water and nutrients over a long distance. In recent years, great research efforts have been made to genetically alter lignin biosynthesis to improve biomass degradability for the production of second-generation biofuels. This global focus on lignin research has significantly advanced our understanding of the lignification process. Based on these advances, here I provide an overview of lignin composition, the biosynthesis pathway and its regulation.
木质素是一种复杂的酚类聚合物，沉积在所有维管植物的次生细胞壁中。木质素的进化被认为是维管植物发育过程中的一个关键事件，因为木质素为次生细胞壁提供了机械强度、刚性和疏水性，使植物能够长得高大，并在长距离内运输水和养分。近年来，人们做出了巨大的研究努力，试图通过遗传改变木质素生物合成来提高生物质的可降解性，以生产第二代生物燃料。全球对木质素研究的关注极大地促进了我们对木质化过程的理解。基于这些进展，我在这里概述了木质素的组成、生物合成途径及其调控。
