Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the anatomical structure of genetically modified plants for the lignin content

Abstract

Sugarcane represents a high potential as crop to cellulosic ethanol yield. However, lignin, which constitutes the secondary cell wall, is a recalcitrant biopolymer to saccharification. The metabolic engineer allows manipulate lignin biosynthesis pathway such a way that improve the cellulosic ethanol yield. Two genes related to the lignin pathway, SHINE and F5H, were integrated into rice and sugarcane genomes, respectively, to evaluated the transgenes overexpression impact on the genetically transformed plants. The present proposal aims to evaluate the transgenic plants rice-OX-SHN and sugarcane-OX-F5H for the lignin deposition in cellular levels as well as its dosage in plant tissues. For this purpose, it will be performed hystochemical tests using the Maule and floruglucinol dyes and, it will be developed methods to the cellular parameters quantification, as the tracheary elements and fibers cell wall thickness measures, lumens and vessels diameters, in order to evaluate the SHINE and F5H overexpression in the structural cell formation. The lignin dosage will be performed by Klason method. The results obtained in the present work will contribute to evaluate genetic transformation plants that might be less recalcitrant to the saccharification process for cellulosic ethanol production. (AU)