Patent ID: 8338664

Claim:
An isolated nucleic acid sequence comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of: (a) a nucleic acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, or the complement strand thereof; (b) a nucleic acid sequence encoding the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2; (c) a nucleic acid sequence capable of hybridizing under the conditions of: 3.5×SSC, 1×Denhardt's solution, 25 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0), 0.5% SDS, and 2 mM EDTA for 18 hours at 65° C. followed by 4 washes at 65° C. for 20 minutes in 2×SSC, 0.1% SDS, and a final wash of 20 minutes in 0.1×SSC, 0.1% SDS, with a nucleic acid sequence of (a) or (b), wherein said hybridizing sequence encodes a C3HC4 polypeptide that, when overexpressed, results in an increase in the cellulose content and/or in a decrease in the lignin content of a plant, said C3CH4 polypeptide comprising a C3HC4 consensus motif; and (d) a nucleic acid sequence that encodes a C3HC4 polypeptide amino acid sequence which is at least 95% or more identical to SEQ ID NO: 2, the over-expression of which results in an increase in the cellulose content and/or in a decrease in the lignin content of a plant, said C3HC4 polypeptide comprising a C3HC4 consensus motif.