Recipient Organization
USDA, ARS, Midwest Area Office
1201 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana,IL 61801
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The heterogeneous nature of plant cell walls limits the ease with which a variety of analytical methods can be applied (in research aimed at improved fiber utilization) We have modified a cellulose-dissolving ionic liquid system and developed a new organic system to completely dissolve finely milled wood fiber (and plant cell walls in general) at room temperature! Preliminary work has demonstrated its efficacy on pine, aspen, kenaf, corn, and a mutant pine. Acetylation produces fully acetylated cell walls with no apparent degradation, that are fully soluble in common organic solvents. NMR spectroscopy readily reveals the traditional lignin structures amongst the dominant polysaccharide resonances. Complete derivatization reactions in under an hour have been demonstrated, already promising to revolutionize certain analyses. The objectives of this proposal are to exploit the power of cell wall solubilization to improve and develop a range of analytical methods. We will
detail extraordinarily diagnostic solution-state NMR of whole cell wall samples, and use the methods to analyze the residual lignin components from various previous studies, particularly from valuable mutant and transgenic plants. We will develop revised lignin analysis protocols and propose new analytical methods for lignins and polysaccharide analysis. This work will advance the knowledge of the chemistry and biochemistry of wood fiber, and provide a sound basis for wide-ranging research into its improved utilization.
Animal Health Component
10%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
90%
Applied
10%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Exploit the power of cell wall solubilization to improve and develop a range of analytical methods. In particular: develop methods for NMR of the whole wall fraction; re-examine (the whole lignin fraction in) valuable mutants and transgenics; develop NMR syringyl:guaiacyl method; improve phenolic methylation methods for thioacidolysis, the DFRC method, and hydroxycinnamates and hydroxybenzoates analysis; attempt to improve phenolic-OH determination.
Project Methods
a. Optimize the cell wall dissolution process and determine the limits on how finely-divided cell walls need to be for solubilization. b. Test survivability of a range of lignin and polysaccharide models through the dissolution process. c. Derivatization of the Cell Wall; test completeness of important acylation and etherification reactions, with model compounds. d. NMR of the Whole Cell Wall, directly on underivatized material, and following suitable derivatization. Samples will include at least pine, aspen, corn, and kenaf. e. NMR of Enzyme Lignins and Residues. The whole cell walls (where available), the enzyme lignins (where available) and the enzyme-lignin residues (following dioxane:water extraction of the MWL fraction, always kept and available) of a whole range of valuable normal and transgenic plant samples will be characterized as fully as possible; for the first time, it will be possible to make observations on the composition and structure of the entire
lignin fraction, an enormously significant advance. f. Improvements to Analytical Methods including thioacidolysis, DFRC, phenol analysis, syringyl:guaiacyl determination, and hydroxycinnamates analyses.