Scientists Overexpress Cucumber Gene in Maize Seed for Cellulose Deconstruction

Plant cell wall degradation into fermentable sugars by cellulases is one of the greatest barriers to biofuel production. A study from Arkansas State University Biosciences Institute in the U.S.A., led by Sangwoong Yoon of the University of California, overexpressed the cucumber expansin gene, Cs-EXPA1, in maize kernels and assessed its potential to serve as an industrial enzyme for applications in biomass conversion.

The level of expansin accumulation in seeds of transgenic kernels was evaluated and the highest expressing plants were chosen. The activity of cucumber expansin from transgenic kernels was then evaluated on pretreated lignocellulosic substrates. The best transgenic lines were selcted and can now be used for breeding to increase expansin expression for use in the biomass conversion industry.

Results of the experiment show the success of expansin over-expression and accumulation in transgenic maize seed without negative impact on growth and development and confirm its effect on deconstruction of cell wall substrates.

For more information, read the article in Transgenic Research.