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Title:   Author  item
                                            KARLEN, STEVEN - University Of Wisconsinitem
                                            ZHANG, CHENGCHENG - University Of Oklahomaitem
                                            PECK, MATTHEW - University Of Oklahomaitem
                                            SMITH, REBECCA - University Of Wisconsinitem
                                            PADMAKSHAN, DHARSHANA - University Of Wisconsinitem
                                            HELMICH, KATE - University Of Wisconsinitem
                                            FREE, HEATHER C - University Of Aucklanditem
                                            LEE, SEONGHEE - Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Incitem
                                            SMITH, BRONWEN - University Of Aucklanditem
                                            LU, FACHUANG - University Of Wisconsinitem
                                            SEDBROOK, JOHN - Illinois State Universityitem
                                            SIBOUT, RICHARD - Inra, Génétique Animale Et Biologie Intégrative , Jouy-En-josas, Franceitem
                                            Grabber, Johnitem
                                            RUNGE, TROY - University Of Wisconsinitem
                                            MYSORE, KIRANKUMAR - Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Incitem
                                            HARRIS, PHILIP - University Of Aucklanditem
                                            BARTLEY, LAURA - University Of Oklahomaitem
                                            RALPH, JOHN - University Of Wisconsin
  Submitted to: Science Advances
                                    Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/2016
                                    Publication  Date: 10/14/2016
                                    Citation: Karlen, S.D., Zhang, C., Peck, M.L., Smith, R.A., Padmakshan, D., Helmich, K.E., Free, H.A., Lee, S., Smith, B.G., Lu, F., Sedbrook, J.C., Sibout, R., Grabber, J.H., Runge, T.M., Mysore, K.S., Harris, P.J., Bartley, L.E., Ralph, J. 2016. Monolignol ferulate conjugates are naturally incorporated into plant lignins. Science Advances. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.1600393.Interpretive Summary: Research into the conversion of plants to liquid fuels and coproducts has focused primarily on flowering plants, like grasses and trees. Lignin is about 18-30% of their biomass and is essential to the plant but limits our access to fibers and chemical energy stored in plant cell walls. Recently, the chemical composition of lignin in poplar trees was engineered so that mild chemical treatment could deconstruct the lignin. Here, we report the discovery that the chemical composition of the engineered lignin is native to many, but not all, of the flowering plants. This information is useful to scientists researching ways to significantly reduce the costs and improve the energy balance of converting biomass to liquid fuels, cellulose pulps, and other value-added products.
                                Technical Abstract: Angiosperms represent the majority of terrestrial plants and are the primary research focus for conversion of biomass to liquid fuels and coproducts. Lignin limits our access to fibers and represents a large fraction of the chemical energy stored in plant cell walls. Recently, the incorporation of monolignol ferulates into lignin polymer was accomplished via engineering of an exotic transferase into commercially relevant poplar. Herein, we report that various angiosperm species might have convergently evolved to natively produce lignins that incorporate monolignol ferulate conjugates. We show that this activity may be accomplished by a BAHD feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase, OsFMT1 (AT5) in rice and its orthologs in other monocots.


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