Designer Biomass for Next-generation Biorefineries: Leveraging Recent Insights into Xylan Structure and Biosynthesis

Overview

Journal Biotechnol Biofuels

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Biotechnology

Date 2017 Dec 8

PMID 29213325

Citations 50

Authors

Peter J Smith

Hsin-Tzu Wang

William S York

Maria J Pena

Breeanna R Urbanowicz

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Xylans are the most abundant noncellulosic polysaccharides in lignified secondary cell walls of woody dicots and in both primary and secondary cell walls of grasses. These polysaccharides, which comprise 20-35% of terrestrial biomass, present major challenges for the efficient microbial bioconversion of lignocellulosic feedstocks to fuels and other value-added products. Xylans play a significant role in the recalcitrance of biomass to degradation, and their bioconversion requires metabolic pathways that are distinct from those used to metabolize cellulose. In this review, we discuss the key differences in the structural features of xylans across diverse plant species, how these features affect their interactions with cellulose and lignin, and recent developments in understanding their biosynthesis. In particular, we focus on how the combined structural and biosynthetic knowledge can be used as a basis for biomass engineering aimed at developing crops that are better suited as feedstocks for the bioconversion industry.

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