Genetic Engineering of Miscanthus
This chapter describes the advantages and present limitations of developing transgenic Miscanthus genotypes with improved characteristics for the emerging biomass and biofuels industries. An efficient method for transformation of Miscanthus developed in t
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Genetic Engineering of Miscanthus Dean Engler and Katrin Jakob
Abstract This chapter describes the advantages and present limitations of developing transgenic Miscanthus genotypes with improved characteristics for the emerging biomass and biofuels industries. An efficient method for transformation of Miscanthus developed in the laboratories of the authors is presented. Traits of value to the biomass/biofuels industry and strategies for how they could be improved by insertion of a transgene(s) are described, including herbicide resistance, biotic and abiotic stress resistance, and biomass composition improvements. In addition, we describe strategies for transgenically controlling traits leading to improvements in yield parameters such as plant height, tiller number, branching patterns, and time of flowering. Methods to integrate transgenic genotypes into a breeding program are discussed. Keywords Biomass • Cellulose • Cellulosic biofuels • Flowering control • Geneticin • Lignin • Miscanthus • Giganteus • Plant stress • Transgenic
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Background
Miscanthus has recently emerged as a potential crop of significance in temperate regions including the USA (Heaton et al. 2004a, b) which could be grown as an alternative to coal for energy generation, and as a feedstock for lignocellulosic ethanol production. Miscanthus has been cultivated as an energy plant in Europe for over a decade, and it has been demonstrated to be particularly suitable as a temperate biomass feedstock plant because of its perenniality, highly efficient photosynthetic
D. Engler (*) • K. Jakob Mendel Biotechnology, Inc, 3935 Point Eden Way, Hayward, CA 94545-3720, USA e-mail: [email protected] A.H. Paterson (ed.), Genomics of the Saccharinae, Plant Genetics and Genomics: Crops and Models 11, DOI 10.1007/978-1-4419-5947-8_12, © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013
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capacity, low need for agronomic inputs, adaptation for growth on marginal lands, and very high potential yield (Clifton-Brown et al. 2001; Christian et al. 2008). Miscanthus yields significantly exceed those of Switchgrass, another candidate biofuel crop, in many environments (Heaton et al. 2004a, b). Unlike Miscanthus, however, switchgrass is not in the Saccharinae clade. Genetic engineering of potential biofuels crops such as species of Miscanthus is an attractive possibility. Miscanthus × giganteus is a prime candidate as a source of biomass, but is triploid and totally sterile, and therefore improvement by conventional intercrossing among genotypes to pyramid favorable genes is not possible. Fertile Miscanthus sinensis, one of the progenitors of M. × giganteus has received some breeding attention, but to date largely for the development of ornamental varieties for gardens and not for the biomass/biofuels industries. Other species such as Miscanthus sacchariflorus have received even less attention from scientists and horticulturalists. There are many characteristics of critical importance to biofuels crops that can likely be improved by the pre
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