ABSTRACT:The structure of the lignin in wheat straw has been investigated by a combination of analytical pyrolysis, 2D-NMR, and derivatization followed by reductive cleavage (DFRC). It is a p-hydroxyphenyl-guaiacyl-syringyl lignin (with an H:G:S ratio of 6:64:30) associated with p-coumarates and ferulates. 2D-NMR indicated that the main substructures present are β-O-4′-ethers (∼75%), followed by phenylcoumarans (∼11%), with lower amounts of other typical units. A major new finding is that the flavone tricin is apparently incorporated into the lignins. NMR and DFRC indicated that the lignin is partially acylated (∼10%) at the γ-carbon, predominantly with acetates that preferentially acylate guaiacyl (12%) rather than syringyl (1%) units; in dicots, acetylation is predominantly on syringyl units. p-Coumarate esters were barely detectable (<1%) on monomer conjugates released by selectively cleaving β-ethers in DFRC, indicating that they might be preferentially involved in condensed or terminal structures. KEYWORDS: wheat straw, Py-GC/MS, TMAH, HSQC, DFRC, milled wood lignin, p-coumarate, ferulate, coniferyl acetate, tricin ■ INTRODUCTIONEnergy consumption has increased gradually over the last decades as the world population has grown and more countries have become industrialized. Crude oil has been the major resource used to meet the increased energy demand. However, concerns about declining of energy resources and the need to mitigate green-house gas emissions and decrease our dependency on fossil fuel reserves have focused attention on the use of plant biomass as a source for the production of biofuels and/or bioproducts. 1The first generation of biofuel feedstocks included sugar cane and cereal grains. Bioconversion of such crops to biofuels, however, competes with food production for land and has a considerable effect on food and feed prices. A promising alternative for second generation biofuels will come from cultivated lignocellulosic crops or agricultural wastes, which are available in high amounts at relatively low cost and could be a widely available and relatively inexpensive source for biofuels and/or bioproducts. Therefore, increasing attention is being paid to the use of lignocellulosic biomass as a renewable feedstock for the above industrial uses. 2−4Common lignocellulosic feedstocks considered for second generation biofuel production include woods (e.g., poplar or eucalyptus), perennial energy crops (e.g., switchgrass or Miscanthus species), and agricultural wastes (e.g., corn stover or cereal straws). Among them, wheat straw has the greatest potential of all agricultural residues because of its wide availability and low cost. 4,5 Wheat straw is an abundant byproduct from wheat production in many countries. The average yield of wheat straw is 1.3−1.4 kg/kg of wheat grain, with a world production of wheat estimated to be around 680 million tons in 2011. Wheat straw contains 35−45% cellulose, 20−30% hemicelluloses, and around 15% lignin, which makes it an attractive feedstock to be converted to ethan...

Redesigning lignin, the aromatic polymer fortifying plant cell walls, to be more amenable to chemical depolymerization can lower the energy required for industrial processing. We have engineered poplar trees to introduce ester linkages into the lignin polymer backbone by augmenting the monomer pool with monolignol ferulate conjugates. Herein, we describe the isolation of a transferase gene capable of forming these conjugates and its xylem-specific introduction into poplar. Enzyme kinetics, in planta expression, lignin structural analysis, and improved cell wall digestibility after mild alkaline pretreatment demonstrate that these trees produce the monolignol ferulate conjugates, export them to the wall, and use them during lignification. Tailoring plants to use such conjugates during cell wall biosynthesis is a promising way to produce plants that are designed for deconstruction.

Tricin was recently discovered in lignin preparations from wheat (Triticum aestivum) straw and subsequently in all monocot samples examined. To provide proof that tricin is involved in lignification and establish the mechanism by which it incorporates into the lignin polymer, the 49-Ob-coupling products of tricin with the monolignols (p-coumaryl, coniferyl, and sinapyl alcohols) were synthesized along with the trimer that would result from its 49-O-b-coupling with sinapyl alcohol and then coniferyl alcohol. Tricin was also found to cross couple with monolignols to form tricin-(49-O-b)-linked dimers in biomimetic oxidations using peroxidase/hydrogen peroxide or silver (I) oxide. Nuclear magnetic resonance characterization of gel permeation chromatography-fractionated acetylated maize (Zea mays) lignin revealed that the tricin moieties are found in even the highest molecular weight fractions, ether linked to lignin units, demonstrating that tricin is indeed incorporated into the lignin polymer. These findings suggest that tricin is fully compatible with lignification reactions, is an authentic lignin monomer, and, because it can only start a lignin chain, functions as a nucleation site for lignification in monocots. This initiation role helps resolve a long-standing dilemma that monocot lignin chains do not appear to be initiated by monolignol homodehydrodimerization as they are in dicots that have similar syringyl-guaiacyl compositions. The term flavonolignin is recommended for the racemic oligomers and polymers of monolignols that start from tricin (or incorporate other flavonoids) in the cell wall, in analogy with the existing term flavonolignan that is used for the lowmolecular mass compounds composed of flavonoid and lignan moieties.Lignin, a complex phenylpropanoid polymer in the plant cell wall, is predominantly deposited in the cell walls of secondary-thickened cells (Vanholme et al., 2010). It is synthesized via oxidative radical coupling reactions from three prototypical monolignols, p-coumaryl, coniferyl, and sinapyl alcohols, differentiated by their degree of methoxylation ortho to the phenolic hydroxyl group. Considered within the context of the entire polymer, the main structural features of lignin can be defined in terms of its p-hydroxyphenyl (H), guaiacyl (G), and syringyl (S) units, derived respectively from these three monolignols (Ralph, 2010). Several novel monomers, all deriving from the monolignol biosynthetic pathway, have been found to incorporate into lignin in wild-type and transgenic plants. For example, monolignol acetate, p-hydroxybenzoate, and p-coumarate ester conjugates have all been shown to incorporate into lignin polymers and are the source of naturally acylated lignins (Ralph et al., 2004;Lu and Ralph, 2008); lignins derived solely from caffeyl alcohol were found in the seed coats of both monocot and dicot plants (Chen et al., 2012a(Chen et al., , 2012b; lignins derived solely from 5-hydroxyconiferyl alcohol were found in a cactus (for example, in a member of the genera Astrop...

Lignin changes during plant growth were investigated in a selected Eucalyptus globulus clone. The lignin composition and structure were studied in situ by a new procedure enabling the acquisition of two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D-NMR) spectra on wood gels formed in the NMR tube as well as by analytical pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In addition, milled-wood lignins were isolated and analyzed by 2D-NMR, pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and thioacidolysis. The data indicated that p-hydroxyphenyl and guaiacyl units are deposited at the earlier stages, whereas the woods are enriched in syringyl (S) lignin during late lignification. Wood 2D-NMR showed that b-O-4# and resinol linkages were predominant in the eucalypt lignin, whereas other substructures were present in much lower amounts. Interestingly, open b-1# structures could be detected in the isolated lignins. Phenylcoumarans and cinnamyl end groups were depleted with age, spirodienone abundance increased, and the main substructures (b-O-4# and resinols) were scarcely modified. Thioacidolysis revealed a higher predominance of S units in the ether-linked lignin than in the total lignin and, in agreement with NMR, also indicated that resinols are the most important nonether linkages. Dimer analysis showed that most of the resinol-type structures comprised two S units (syringaresinol), the crossed guaiacyl-S resinol appearing as a minor substructure and pinoresinol being totally absent. Changes in hemicelluloses were also shown by the 2D-NMR spectra of the wood gels without polysaccharide isolation. These include decreases of methyl galacturonosyl, arabinosyl, and galactosyl (anomeric) signals, assigned to pectin and related neutral polysaccharides, and increases of xylosyl (which are approximately 50% acetylated) and 4-O-methylglucuronosyl signals.

Lignins from three nonwoody angiosperms were analyzed by 2D NMR revealing important differences in their molecular structures. The Musa textilis milled-wood-lignin (MWL), with a syringyl-to-guaiacyl (S/G) ratio of 9, was strongly acylated (near 85% of side-chains) at the gamma-carbon by both acetates and p-coumarates, as estimated from (1)H-(13)C correlations in C(gamma)-esterified and C(gamma)-OH units. The p-coumarate H(3,5)-C(3,5) correlation signal was completely displaced by acetylation, and disappeared after alkali treatment, indicating that p-coumaric acid was esterified maintaining its free phenolic group. By contrast, the Cannabis sativa MWL (S/G approximately 0.8) was free of acylating groups, and the Agave sisalana MWL (S/G approximately 4) showed high acylation degree (near 80%) but exclusively with acetates. Extensive C(gamma)-acylation results in the absence (in M. textilis lignin) or low abundance (4% in A. sisalana lignin) of beta-beta' resinol linkages, which require free C(gamma)-OH to form the double tetrahydrofuran ring. However, minor signals revealed unusual acylated beta-beta' structures confirming that acylation is produced at the monolignol level, in agreement with chromatographic identification of gamma-acetylated sinapyl alcohol among the plant extractives. In contrast, resinol substructures involved 22% side-chains in the C.sativa MWL. The ratio between beta-beta' and beta-O-4' side-chains in these and other MWL varied from 0.32 in C.sativa MWL to 0.02 in M. textilis MWL, and was inversely correlated with the degree of acylation. The opposite was observed for the S/G ratio that was directly correlated with the acylation degree. Monolignol acylation is discussed as a mechanism potentially involved in the control of lignin structure.

The structure of lignins isolated from the herbaceous plants sisal ( Agave sisalana), kenaf ( Hibiscus cannabinus), abaca ( Musa textilis) and curaua ( Ananas erectifolius) has been studied upon spectroscopic (2D-NMR) and chemical degradative (derivatization followed by reductive cleavage) methods. The analyses demonstrate that the structure of the lignins from these plants is highly remarkable, being extensively acylated at the gamma-carbon of the lignin side chain (up to 80% acylation) with acetate and/or p-coumarate groups and preferentially over syringyl units. Whereas the lignins from sisal and kenaf are gamma-acylated exclusively with acetate groups, the lignins from abaca and curaua are esterified with acetate and p-coumarate groups. The structures of all these highly acylated lignins are characterized by a very high syringyl/guaiacyl ratio, a large predominance of beta- O-4' linkages (up to 94% of all linkages), and a strikingly low proportion of traditional beta-beta' linkages, which indeed are completely absent in the lignins from abaca and curaua. The occurrence of beta-beta' homocoupling and cross-coupling products of sinapyl acetate in the lignins from sisal and kenaf indicates that sinapyl alcohol is acetylated at the monomer stage and that, therefore, sinapyl acetate should be considered as a real monolignol involved in the lignification reactions.

The chemical structure of milled-wood lignins from Eucalyptus globulus, E. nitens, E. maidenii, E. grandis, and E. dunnii was investigated. The lignins were characterized by analytical pyrolysis, thioacidolysis, and 2D-NMR that confirmed the predominance of syringyl over guaiacyl units and only showed traces of p-hydroxyphenyl units. E. globulus lignin had the highest syringyl content. The heteronuclear single quantum correlation (HSQC) NMR spectra yielded information about relative abundances of inter-unit linkages in the whole polymer. All the lignins showed a predominance of β-O-4′ ether linkages (66–72% of total side-chains), followed by β-β′ resinol-type linkages (16–19%) and lower amounts of β-5′ phenylcoumaran-type (3–7%) and β-1′ spirodienone-type linkages (1–4%). The analysis of desulfurated thioacidolysis dimers provided additional information on the relative abundances of the various carbon-carbon and diaryl ether bonds, and the type of units (syringyl or guaiacyl) involved in each of the above linkage types. Interestingly, 93–94% of the total β-β′ dimers included two syringyl units indicating that most of the β-β′ substructures identified in the HSQC spectra were of the syringaresinol type. Moreover, three isomers of a major trimeric compound were found which were tentatively identified as arising from a β-β′ syringaresinol substructure attached to a guaiacyl unit through a 4-O-5′ linkage.

The structure of the lignin in the cortex and pith of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) stems was studied both in situ and in isolated milled "wood" lignins by several analytical methods. The presence of p-coumarate and ferulate in the cortex and pith, as well as in their isolated lignins, was revealed by pyrolysis in the presence of tetramethylammonium hydroxide, and by 2D NMR, and indicated that ferulate acylates the carbohydrates while p-coumarate acylates the lignin polymer. 2D NMR showed a predominance of alkyl aryl ether (β−O−4′) linkages (82% of total interunit linkages), with low amounts of "condensed" substructures, such as resinols (β−β′), phenylcoumarans (β−5′), and spirodienones (β−1′). Moreover, the NMR also indicated that these lignins are extensively acylated at the γ-carbon of the side chain. DFRC analyses confirmed that p-coumarate groups acylate the γ-OHs of these lignins, and predominantly on syringyl units.