Creation of a Binary CuSO4 Inducible gene expression system in Arabidopsis thaliana and its application to the degradation of Lignin in planta

However, the remarkable recalcitrance of lignin to economically feasible (bio)degradation, with the exception of a handful of microbial species, has meant that the latent potential of this biopolymer for applied uses has largely remained untapped.

The natural degradation of lignin contained in lignocellulosic biomass is carried out almost exclusively by a sub-kingdom of fungi, known as basidiomycetes (white-rot fungi), which secrete different enzymes acting both separately, and in synergy, to degrade lignin signifcantly enough for these organisms to mineralize it to CO2 and thus gain access to the plants energy rich cellulose. Though these enzymes are known to degrade lignin when secreted by fungi and when applied in vitro, what is not known is whether they can be expressed in vivo by the lignocellulosic plant itself for auto-lignin degradation, a novel strategy which would circumvent the need for whole fungi or standalone enzyme treatment to biologically degrade lignin.