title: Cell-wall properties contributing to improved deconstruction by alkaline pre-treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis in diverse maize (Zea mays L.) lines.
abstract: A maize (Zea mays L. subsp. mays) diversity panel consisting of 26 maize lines exhibiting a wide range of cell-wall properties and responses to hydrolysis by cellulolytic enzymes was employed to investigate the relationship between cell-wall properties, cell-wall responses to mild NaOH pre-treatment, and enzymatic hydrolysis yields. Enzymatic hydrolysis of the cellulose in the untreated maize was found to be positively correlated with the water retention value, which is a measure of cell-wall susceptibility to swelling. It was also positively correlated with the lignin syringyl/guaiacyl ratio and negatively correlated with the initial cell-wall lignin, xylan, acetate, and p-coumaric acid (pCA) content, as well as pCA released from the cell wall by pre-treatment. The hydrolysis yield following pre-treatment exhibited statistically significant negative correlations to the lignin content after pre-treatment and positive correlations to the solubilized ferulic acid and pCA. Several unanticipated results were observed, including a positive correlation between initial lignin and acetate content, lack of correlation between acetate content and initial xylan content, and negative correlation between each of these three variables to the hydrolysis yields for untreated maize. Another surprising result was that pCA release was negatively correlated with hydrolysis yields for untreated maize and, along with ferulic acid release, was positively correlated with the pre-treated maize hydrolysis yields. This indicates that these properties that may negatively contribute to the recalcitrance in untreated cell walls may positively contribute to their deconstruction by alkaline pre-treatment.
authors: Department of Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA DOE-Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, 1552 University Ave., Madison, WI 53703, USA.
authors: Muyang
authors: M
authors: Li
authors: DOE-Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, 1552 University Ave., Madison, WI 53703, USA.
authors: Marlies
authors: M
authors: Heckwolf
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
authors: Jacob D
authors: JD
authors: Crowe
authors: DOE-Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, 1552 University Ave., Madison, WI 53703, USA Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
authors: Daniel L
authors: DL
authors: Williams
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
authors: Timothy D
authors: TD
authors: Magee
authors: DOE-Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, 1552 University Ave., Madison, WI 53703, USA Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706-1597, USA.
authors: Shawn M
authors: SM
authors: Kaeppler
authors: DOE-Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, 1552 University Ave., Madison, WI 53703, USA Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706-1597, USA.
authors: Natalia
authors: N
authors: de Leon
authors: Department of Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA DOE-Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, 1552 University Ave., Madison, WI 53703, USA Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA Division of Sustainable Process Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden 97187 hodgeda@msu.edu.
authors: David B
authors: DB
authors: Hodge
mesh_terms: D002473:Cell Wall / Q000737:chemistry*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D003313:Zea mays / Q000378:metabolism*
keywords: Biofuels; cell-wall recalcitrance; enzymatic hydrolysis; maize; plant cell-wall characterization; pre-treatment.