Comprehensive expression analyses of the ABCG subfamily reveal SvABCG17 as a potential transporter of lignin monomers in the model C4 grass Setaria viridis.

Although several aspects of lignin metabolism have been extensively characterized, the mechanism(s) by which lignin monomers are transported across the plasma membrane remains largely unknown. Biochemical, proteomic, expression and co-expression analyses from several plant species support the involvement of active transporters, mainly those belonging to the ABC superfamily. Here, we report on the genome-wide characterization of the ABCG gene subfamily in the model C4 grass Setaria viridis and further identification of the members potentially involved in monolignol transport.

Transcriptional and metabolic changes associated with internode development and reduced cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase activity in sorghum.

The molecular mechanisms associated with secondary cell wall (SCW) deposition in sorghum remain largely uncharacterized. Here, we employed untargeted metabolomics and large-scale transcriptomics to correlate changes in SCW deposition with variation in global gene expression profiles and metabolite abundance along an elongating internode of sorghum, with a major focus on lignin and phenolic metabolism. To gain deeper insight into the metabolic and transcriptional changes associated with pathway perturbations, a bmr6 mutant [with reduced cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) activity] was analyzed.

The lignin toolbox of the model grass Setaria viridis.

The core set of biosynthetic genes potentially involved in developmental lignification was identified in the model C4 grass Setaria viridis. Lignin has been recognized as a major recalcitrant factor negatively affecting the processing of plant biomass into bioproducts. However, the efficient manipulation of lignin deposition in order to generate optimized crops for the biorefinery requires a fundamental knowledge of several aspects of lignin metabolism, including regulation, biosynthesis and polymerization.