A nonsense mutation in a cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase gene is responsible for the Sorghum brown midrib6 phenotype.

A Nonsense Mutation in a Cinnamyl Alcohol Dehydrogenase Gene Is Responsible for the Sorghum brown midrib6 Phenotype1[W][OA]

A genomewide analysis of the cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase family in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] identifies SbCAD2 as the brown midrib6 gene.

The content and composition of the plant cell wall polymer lignin affect plant fitness, carbon sequestration potential, and agro-industrial processing. These characteristics, are heavily influenced by the supply of hydroxycinnamyl alcohol precursors synthesized by the enzyme cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD). In angiosperms, CAD is encoded by a multigene family consisting of members thought ...

Brown midrib mutations and their importance to the utilization of maize, sorghum, and pearl millet lignocellulosic tissues

Brown midrib mutants have been isolated in maize (Zea mays), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) arising by either spontaneous or chemical mutagenesis. The characteristic brown coloration of the leaf mid veins is associated with reduced lignin content and altered lignin composition, traits useful to improve forage digestibility for livestock. Brown midrib phenotype i...

Characterization of novel Brown midrib 6 mutations affecting lignin biosynthesis in sorghum.

The presence of lignin reduces the quality of lignocellulosic biomass for forage materials and feedstock for biofuels. In C4 grasses, the brown midrib phenotype has been linked to mutations to genes in the monolignol biosynthesis pathway. For example, the Bmr6 gene in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) has been previously shown to encode cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD), which catalyzes the final st...

Alteration in Lignin Biosynthesis Restricts Growth of <i>Fusarium</i> spp. in Brown Midrib Sorghum

Funnell-Harris, D. L., Pedersen, J. F., and Sattler, S. E. 2010. Alteration in lignin biosynthesis restricts growth of Fusarium spp. in brown midrib sorghum. Phytopathology 100:671-681. To improve sorghum for bioenergy and forage uses, brown midrib (bmr)6 and -12 near-isogenic genotypes were developed in different sorghum backgrounds. The bmr6 and bmr12 grain had significantly reduced colonizat...