title: Expression of a bacterial endoglucanase gene in tobacco increases digestibility of its cell wall fibers.
abstract: Transgenic tobacco plants exhibiting exogenous cellulase activity were produced by introduction of a truncated cellulase (t-EgI) gene from Ruminococcus albus. They accumulated about 0.1-0.5% t-EgI of the total soluble proteins in the cytoplasm. They were normal in morphology and growth. t-EgI expressed in the transgenic plants degraded their own cell wall materials after the cells were disrupted. The plants expressing the t-egI gene could be used as "cellulase-encapsulating plants" for livestock and food industries.
authors.affiliation: Oji Paper Co. Ltd., Forestry Research Institute, Kameyama, Mie 519-0212, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawazu
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakka
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohmiya