Desirable plant cell wall traits for higher-quality miscanthus lignocellulosic biomass

AVCI, UTKU/0000-0001-5355-9906; Bosch, Maurice/0000-0003-1990-589X; da Costa, Ricardo/0000-0002-5426-412XWOS: 000464745100001PubMed: 31011368Background: Lignocellulosic biomass from dedicated energy crops such as Miscanthus spp. is an important tool to combat anthropogenic climate change. However, we still do not exactly understand the sources of cell wall recalcitrance to deconstruction, which hinders the efficient biorefining of plant biomass into biofuels and bioproducts. Results: We combined detailed phenotyping, correlation studies and discriminant analyses, to identify key significantly distinct variables between miscanthus organs, genotypes and most importantly, between saccharification performances. Furthermore, for the first time in an energy crop, normalised total quantification of specific cell wall glycan epitopes is reported and correlated with saccharification. Conclusions: in stems, lignin has the greatest impact on recalcitrance. However, in leaves, matrix glycans and their decorations have determinant effects, highlighting the importance of biomass fine structures, in addition to more commonly described cell wall compositional features. the results of our interrogation of the miscanthus cell wall promote the concept that desirable cell wall traits for increased biomass quality are highly dependent on the target biorefining products. Thus, for the development of biorefining ideotypes, instead of a generalist miscanthus variety, more realistic and valuable approaches may come from defining a collection of specialised cultivars, adapted to specific conditions and purposes.European Regional Development Funding through the Welsh Government [8056]; Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Institute Strategic Programme Grant on Energy Grasses Biorefining [BBS/E/W/10963A01]; BBSRC Core Strategic Programme in Resilient Crops [BB/CSP1730/1]; Office of Science (BER) Department of EnergyUnited States Department of Energy (DOE) [DE-SC0006621]; BioEnergy Science Center (BESC)United States Department of Energy (DOE); Oak Ridge National LaboratoryUnited States Department of Energy (DOE); Office of Biological and Environmental Research, Office of Science, U.S. Department of EnergyUnited States Department of Energy (DOE) [DE-AC05-00OR22725]; NSF Plant Genome ProgramNational Science Foundation (NSF) [DBI-0421683, IOS-0923992]; BBSRC 'Sparking Impact'; Society for Experimental Biology Travel FundThis work was supported by European Regional Development Funding through the Welsh Government for BEACON, Grant Number 8056; the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Institute Strategic Programme Grant on Energy Grasses & Biorefining (BBS/E/W/10963A01), the BBSRC Core Strategic Programme in Resilient Crops (BB/CSP1730/1) and the Office of Science (BER) Department of Energy, Grant DE-SC0006621. Glycome profiling studies were supported by the BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory and funded by a Grant (DE-AC05-00OR22725) from the Office of Biological and Environmental Research, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy. Generation of the CCRC series of monoclonal antibodies used in this work was supported by the NSF Plant Genome Program (DBI-0421683 and IOS-0923992). We acknowledge BBSRC 'Sparking Impact' funding and a Society for Experimental Biology Travel Fund to enable a research visit of RC to the CCRC, University of Georgia