title: Stacking transgenes in forest trees.
abstract: Huge potential exists for improving plant raw materials and foodstuffs via metabolic engineering. To date, progress has mostly been limited to modulating the expression of single genes of well-studied pathways, such as the lignin biosynthetic pathway, in model species. However, a recent report illustrates a new level of sophistication in metabolic engineering by overexpressing one lignin enzyme while simultaneously suppressing the expression of another lignin gene in a tree, aspen. This novel approach to multi-gene manipulation has succeeded in concurrently improving several wood-quality traits.
authors.affiliation: Plant Research Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee at SCRI, Invergowrie, Dundee, UK DD2 5DA. c.halpin@dundee.ac.uk
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Halpin
authors.forename: Wout
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Boerjan
mesh_terms: D019470:Biolistics; D018533:Biomass; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000235:genetics* / Q000592:standards; D005818:Genetic Engineering / Q000379:methods; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D012231:Rhizobium / Q000235:genetics; D014197:Trees / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology