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Plant Cell, Vol. 13, 73-88, January 2001, Copyright © 2001, American Society of Plant Physiologists
Downregulation of Caffeic Acid 3-O-Methyltransferase and Caffeoyl CoA 3-O-Methyltransferase in Transgenic Alfalfa: Impacts on Lignin Structure and Implications for the Biosynthesis of G and S Lignin
Dianjing Guoa,
Fang Chena,
Kentaro Inouea,
Jack W. Blounta, and
Richard A. Dixona
a Plant Biology Division, Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73401
Correspondence to:
Richard A. Dixon, radixon{at}noble.org (E-mail), 580-221-7380 (fax)
Transgenic alfalfa plants were generated harboring caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and caffeoyl CoA 3-O-methyltransferase (CCOMT) cDNA sequences under control of the bean phenylalanine ammonia-lyase PAL2 promoter. Strong downregulation of COMT resulted in decreased lignin content, a reduction in total guaiacyl (G) lignin units, a near total loss of syringyl (S) units in monomeric and dimeric lignin degradation products, and appearance of low levels of 5-hydroxy guaiacyl units and a novel dimer. No soluble monolignol precursors accumulated. In contrast, strong downregulation of CCOMT led to reduced lignin levels, a reduction in G units without reduction in S units, and increases in ß-5 linked dimers of G units. Accumulation of soluble caffeic acid ß-D-glucoside occurred only in CCOMT downregulated plants. The results suggest that CCOMT does not significantly contribute to the 3-O-methylation step in S lignin biosynthesis in alfalfa and that there is redundancy with respect to the 3-O-methylation reaction of G lignin biosynthesis. COMT is unlikely to catalyze the in vivo methylation of caffeic acid during lignin biosynthesis.
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