Elucidation of metabolic mechanism of biocomponents and development of various functional molecules

• Overview

  Lignin is an aromatic polymer deposited in plant cell walls. It is biosynthesized from phenylalanine and/or tyrosine via multiple reactions catalyzed by different enzymes. Unlike other cell wall polymers such as cellulose and hemicelluloses, no enzyme is involved in polymerization of lignin. Various plant phenolics can form radicals and thus they can be incorporated into lignin molecule, indicating that the structure of lignin is extremely complex. In other words, we can manipulate the lignin structure by biosynthesis of noncanonical lignin monomers and their incorporation into lignins. In our collaborative study, the temporal and spatial biosynthesis of various phenolics and their transportation into cell wall will be analyzed using plants including cultured cells and lignocellulose containing lignin with novel structure will be generated by genetic manipulation for its advanced industrial utilization.

  

Members

Kenji Ogino (Institute of Engineering / Professor)
Masatsugu Takada (Institute of Agriculture / Assistant Professor)