Improvement in pulping and bleaching properties of xylem from transgenic tobacco plants

In an attempt to improve the pulping properties of xylem pieces and the bleaching properties of the resultant pulp, we compared two lines of transgenic tobacco in which the biosynthesis of lignin had been altered by suppression of the activity of 4-coumarate: CoA ligase (4CL). The results of Kraft p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the science of food and agriculture 2002-08, Vol.82 (10), p.1216-1223
Main Authors: Kajita, Shinya, Ishifuji, Masatoshi, Ougiya, Hiroshi, Hara, Shin-ichi, Kawabata, Haruhiko, Morohoshi, Noriyuki, Katayama, Yoshihiro
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions
Applied sciences
Biological and medical sciences
Exact sciences and technology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
genetic engineering
Genetics and breeding of economic plants
Lignin and derivatives
lignin biosynthesis
lignin modification
Natural polymers
Physicochemistry of polymers
pulping
transgenic tobacco
Varietal selection. Specialized plant breeding, plant breeding aims
Yield, quality, earliness, varia
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Summary:In an attempt to improve the pulping properties of xylem pieces and the bleaching properties of the resultant pulp, we compared two lines of transgenic tobacco in which the biosynthesis of lignin had been altered by suppression of the activity of 4-coumarate: CoA ligase (4CL). The results of Kraft pulping on a laboratory scale indicated that the xylem of transgenic tobacco exhibited a higher delignification efficiency than that of corresponding controls subjected to the same conditions. This facilitated delignification was accompanied by a high pulp yield, but there was no excessive degradation of cellulose in the pulp fibres. The unbleached pulps from the 4CL-suppressed tobacco plants were easily bleached with a lower consumption of chemicals than was required for the controls. Furthermore, the strength and optical properties of handsheets prepared from the 4CL-suppressed tobacco plants were similar to those of handsheets prepared from the controls. Our observations suggest that modification of lignin by genetic engineering of the suppression of 4CL activity should result in both an increased pulping yield and a saving of bleaching reagent.
ISSN:0022-5142
1097-0010
DOI:10.1002/jsfa.1168